The Director of Sana'a International Airport, Khaled Al-Shaif, has commented on the damage sustained by the airport as a result of military operations and the blockade imposed on it since 2015.

He stated that the airport's main runway was destroyed at the beginning of the war, while the passenger terminal and several airport facilities also suffered extensive damage, including the training institute, prayer hall, and baggage inspection area. He added that the airport has also incurred significant direct and indirect losses due to repeated attacks and its prolonged closure.

Al-Shaif said that the air blockade imposed on Sana'a International Airport was renewed annually. He noted that several airlines had expressed interest in operating flights to the airport, but Saudi measures prevented this from happening. He added that the Saudi side had undermined agreements related to air services despite the Egyptian technical team's assessment that the airport was fully prepared to receive flights.

He further stated that UN Security Council Resolution 2216 does not contain any provision requiring the closure or targeting of Sana'a International Airport, describing the decision to impose the airport blockade as "an entirely Saudi decision."

According to Al-Shaif, more than 10 million Yemeni expatriates have been deprived of travelling through Sana'a International Airport. He also claimed that approximately 1.5 million patients have lost their lives after being unable to travel abroad for medical treatment because of the airport's closure.

He explained that the closure has prevented more than 300 patients from travelling each day, disrupted the supply of around 500 types of medicines, and affected approximately 5,000 students. He also stressed that the Yemeni people reject limiting flights to and from Sana'a International Airport to a single destination or a single airline.

Regarding the economic impact, Al-Shaif stated that the airport's direct losses have reached approximately US$160 million, while indirect losses resulting from its closure have exceeded US$3.5 billion.

He also noted that the number of passengers travelling through one Saudi airport in a single day exceeds the total number of passengers who travelled through Sana'a International Airport during the whole of 2023, saying this illustrates the scale of the restrictions imposed on air traffic to and from the airport.