The general manager of Sana'a International Airport, Khaled al-Shaif, estimated Wednesday morning that the total damage from Tuesday's Israeli strike on the airport amounts to approximately half a billion dollars.
According to al-Shaif, all flights to and from the airport have been suspended indefinitely due to extensive damage from the strike. He added that Israeli Air Force fighter jets fired two types of missiles, causing widespread destruction to the runway, passenger terminal, and other critical facilities.
Al-Shaif disputed Israel's justification for the attack, claiming that statements about the Houthi terror group using the airport to smuggle weapons and fighters constitute a "baseless excuse." He insisted that "there is no evidence that the airport is being used for non-humanitarian purposes."
The airport manager further noted that thousands of passengers are now stranded abroad following the strike, while others will be unable to fly to make their pilgrimages to Mecca. He confirmed that the Yemeni airline lost three aircraft that were destroyed in the attack, leaving it with only one plane currently located in Oman.
Despite the extensive damage, al-Shaif stated, "There are alternatives for temporarily reopening the airport, but we need a long time to rehabilitate it and return to operating as before."
The Israeli strike on Sana'a airport comes amid escalating tensions with the Houthi rebels, who have launched numerous attacks against Israel since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023. In related developments, the IDF reported conducting a series of strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, while sources in Yemen indicated that the port of Hodeidah has been disabled. A senior Houthi official claimed that a missile was launched at Ben Gurion Airport at the request of Hamas.
