UK suspended on Saturday all direct flights from Yemen to its land after allegedly suspicious packages had been found onboard a flight that originated in Yemen early Friday.
The safety of UK and its people tops my priorities and we work and will continue to work closely and cooperatively with our international partners to ensure that, Home Secretary Theresa May said.
The decision comes amid a state of high alert at UK and U.S. airports after suspicious packages, allegedly reported to have sent from Yemen, were found on cargo planes that landed at London and U.S. airports on Friday morning.
After investigators said they found a package that contained a manipulated toner cartridge on Chicago-bound cargo plane coming through Yemen, May said the examination of the package is continuing.
We are studying steps that we should take over cargos coming through Yemen, and for security reasons, there will be no direct flights from Yemen to Britain indefinitely, she said.
Earlier today, Yemen said no UPS cargo planes left it in the last days and there are no direct flights from Yemen to either the United Kingdom or the United States.
An unnamed official source said UPS planes never land or take off in Yemen, and that security measures at Yemeni airports are tightened, with the authorities searching passengers and luggage well.
Also, Yemen has recently installed modern checking systems that can detect dangerous or suspicious materials to the safety of passengers and planes, the official said, urging the media not to make hasty judgments about sensitive issues.
Moreover, Yemen is coordinating with the United Arab Emirates, the country which also said it had found suspicious packages at one of its airports on a flight originating in Yemen, the U.S. and UK over the issue, the official said.