Yemen: Houthi missiles target Aden and threaten civil aviation

Yemeni authorities announced that two missiles fired by the Houthi group landed inside the perimeter of Aden International Airport, near a passenger plane preparing to depart for Cairo, with no casualties reported. The Yemeni Information Minister considered the attack a direct threat to civil aviation safety, marking the second targeting of the airport since October 7.

Yemeni authorities announced that two missiles fired by the Houthi group landed inside the perimeter of Aden International Airport, in southern Yemen, on Friday, October 16, 2026, near a passenger plane preparing to depart for Cairo. Yemeni Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani stated that the two missiles fell about 500 meters from a Yemenia Airways plane preparing to execute flight number (612) to Cairo, and about 100 meters from the middle of the runway. Al-Eryani noted that the attack nearly caused a humanitarian disaster threatening the lives of dozens of passengers, considering the targeting of the airport a direct threat to civil aviation safety and the freedom of movement of citizens. Meanwhile, the Yemeni Ministry of Transport reported that one missile fell near the western gate of the airport, while the other fell northwest of the airport, coinciding with the preparation of the Yemenia plane for takeoff, which required its immediate evacuation. It added that another plane belonging to Fly Aden, arriving from Cairo, was flying in the area at the time of the attack. The Yemeni government, through the Ministry of Transport, condemned the targeting of the airport for the second time in ten days, warning of the repercussions of repeated attacks on aviation safety and the lives of passengers, and calling on the United Nations and international organizations to act.