Yemen separatist STC barred Saudi delegation from Aden landing: envoy
The closing of air traffic is the latest sign of a deepening crisis between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, whose rivalry is reshaping war-torn Yemen.
Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Yemen said that Aidarus Al-Zubaidi, the leader of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), refused landing permission on Thursday for a plane carrying a Saudi delegation to Aden.
The halt in flights at Aden international airport was the latest sign of a deepening crisis between Gulf powers Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, whose rivalry is reshaping war-torn Yemen.
"For several weeks and until yesterday, the Kingdom sought to make all efforts with the Southern Transitional Council to end the escalation ... but it faced continuous rejection and stubbornness from Aidarus Al-Zubaidi," the Saudi ambassador, Mohammed Al-Jaber, said on X on Friday.
Zubaidi issued directives to close air traffic at Aden airport on Thursday, the ambassador added, saying that a plane carrying a Saudi delegation to Aden aiming to find solutions to the crisis was denied permission to land.
In a statement on Thursday, the STC-controlled transport ministry accused Saudi Arabia of imposing an air blockade, saying Riyadh required all flights to go via Saudi Arabia for extra checks.
The UAE backs the STC, which seized swathes of southern Yemen last month from the internationally recognised government, backed by Saudi Arabia, which in turn saw the move as a threat.
The Aden international airport is the main gateway for regions of the country outside Houthi control.