Comoros/France/Yemen

Yemenia suspends flights to and from Marseille

Article published on the 2009-07-03 Latest update 2009-07-03 11:06 TU

Comorians and victims' families creating a human chain at Marseille airport on Thursday in order to prevent a Yemenia flight departing
(Photo: AFP)

The Yemeni airline, Yemenia, has suspended flights to and from the southern French city of Marseille for an unspecified period. This follows this week's crash of a Yemenia flight to the Comoros which killed all but one of the 153 passengers.

The company had been forced to cancel two flights on Wednesday and Thursday after protests from Marseille's Comoran population.

The airline criticised the protests, waying that they hamper investigations into the crash and are preventing it from bringing families of the deceased to the Comoros.

Protesters reacted to news of the suspension of the flights by calling for the airline to cease flying from Marseille permanently and by chanting "Murderers!".

Protesters abandoned their plans to spend the night in the airport after the suspension was announced. 

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Thursday that France would organise flights to the Comoros for people who had lost family members in the crash.

Sarkozy also said he will meet representatives of the victims' families next week, as would several ministers from the government.

On France 24 TV  Yemenia suspends flights to and from Marseille