During the ceremony, PM delivered a speech in which he indicated the importance of this occasion through which we stress on the international commitments in the field of civil aviation and assessing the performance of the constitutions and its achievements.

He said: “ I wish to maintain our constitutions and its structures because we are all concerned in this matter to enable it continue its valuable role in the phase after the aggression that has reserved no efforts by different means to destroy it. He added that we shall progressively sit with ourselves to maintain the institutions taking into consideration its relations and activity worldwide and that change shall not be in accordance to merely interest or personal desire; drawing the attention to the national and neutral aspect of CAMA whereby it exercises its responsibilities within such exceptional conditions.   

He also addressed the current consultations that are hosed in the Sweden capital Stockholm and the issues discussed such as the status of Sana’a International Airport to be reopened in front of commercial flights that is technically and securely ready to receive all types of aircraft as a result of the progressive good efforts exerted by the employees of CAMA to fix and repair any damages that took place due to the aggression’s air raids targeting the infrastructure and facilities of the airport.       

The PM also clarified the importance of the airport that is serving more than 24 million human beings pointing out to the call of some people to subject the aircraft taking off from Sana’a airport to inspection contradicts with the unstable living conditions witnessed in Aden nowadays under the occupation of UAE. He commented that we all know that Yemen Airways aircraft are not allowed to land without permission by Emirates as well as not allowed to remain one night even in the airport.      

He added that who asks for inspection, he shall firstly liberate himself from occupation because Aden today is not as it was before an example of peace and security and it is difficult to be as a main hub because it is not safe. He wonders: “what is the sin of patients and passengers for humanitarian purposes to endure the tiresome and trouble of travel between one airport and another”.    

Dr. Ben Habtour stressed that it is regrettable to deal with the Yemeni people - by others who grew up in the good of Yemeni Land - as an enemy who do not deserve the most basic rights, and aimed with all his might to weaken Sana'a airport and its vital role, especially in this circumstance.

He expressed his hope that this occasion will be recurred while the aggression had been got lost, and that Sana'a airport and the rest of Yemeni airports had returned to normal operation.

The ceremony was attended by the Presidential Counselor - Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Tarib, Foreign Minister -  Hisham Sharaf, Minister of Public Health and Population -  Dr. Taha Al-Mutawakil, Minister of Expatriates Affairs - Mohammed Al-Mashjari, Minister of Human Rights -  Ms. Alia Abdul Latif, and a number of Yemeni military and security leaders, businessmen, in addition to representatives of   International Organizations in Yemen.

Minister of Transport - Zakaria Al-Shami stressed the importance of the International Day of Civil Aviation in the economic and social development of countries.

He indicated that Yemen is celebrating this occasion in spite of the aggression and blockade imposed by KSA and Emirates supported by USA and Israel under shameful international silence saying that two and half million passengers used to travel from Sana’a airport every year form different society sections and today there are not any passengers except the employees of the UN and International Organizations working in Yemen, whereas four billion and three hundred passengers traveled around the world according to 2018 survey while the Yemeni people are deprived of travelling especially the patients by the aggression coalition.     

The Republic of Yemen, however, had preceded Gulf countries in the field of civil aviation and that the first aircraft landed in Sana’a airport was in 1919 and in 1926 an aircraft landed in Baroud Khan Airport; that is nowadays known as “Alsaabeen square”. It was mentioned that the first batch to study aviation was delegated to Italy in 1926, second one was in 1936 in Iraq and the 3^rd batch was in 1947 in Lebanon then moved to Cairo.       

From his side, Dr. Mohammed Abdulkader, Chairman of CAMA said that the World Civil Aviation Day was launched by the ICAO in 1994 and the UN General Assembly in 1996 to enhance the world awareness in the importance of the role of civil aviation in the social and economic development of States.  

He also added that the 7^th of December is a world achievement of the International Civil Aviation since it coincides with the anniversary of signing the International Civil Aviation Convention known as “Chicago Convention” in 1944 which stressed the role of civil aviation in cementing the collaboration concepts, deepening friendship and a bridge of communication and understanding between nations.    

During the ceremony, a documentary film about civil aviation in Yemen, the role of ICAO and its work in regulating civil aviation safety and security was presented. By the end of the ceremony, the PM with the accompany of Minister of Transport and Chairman of CAMA launched the campaign of lifting the blockade of Sana’a International Airport in front of the civil and commercial flights during which media campaigns and slogans calling to lift the blockade and opening the airport will be intensified.       

The ceremony was attended by Mr. Abdullah Alansi, Deputy Minister of Transport for Air Transport Sector, Mr. Khalid Alnamir, Deputy Minister of Transport for Seaports and Marine Affairs, Mr. Walid Alwadaei, Chairman of Land Transport Regulation Authority, Dr. Abdulhamid Abutalib, Asst. Deputy Chairman of CAMA for Aviation Safety, Mr. Mohammed Alsharif, Asst. Deputy Chairman of CAMA for Airports’ Sector, Dr. Mazen Ghanim, Dir. Gen. of Air Transport (CAMA) and Mr. Khalid Alshaef, Dir. Gen. Sana’a International Airport.