UK bans direct flights from Yemen

Yemenia airline is reviewing all security arrangements in a bid to reverse a ban which stops the airline flying to the UK.

Yesterday, UK's Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced a ban on all direct flights from Yemen to the UK following security fears after the attempted bombing of a passenger plane on Christmas Day by a man allegedly radicalised in Yemen.

In a statement to the House of Commons, Brown also announced the creation of two new terror watch lists as part of a package of measures aimed at beefing up UK's border security.

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who attempted to detonate explosives on the plane as it came in to land in Detroit, was a student in London but came into contact with al Qaida in Yemen. Prime Minister Brown said the ban on direct flights would remain in place until new security measures were put in place in Yemen which he described as an "incubator and potential safe haven for terrorism".

Mr Brown said: "We have agreed with Yemenia Airlines - pending enhanced security - that they suspend their direct flights to the UK from Yemen with immediate effect. We are working closely with the Yemeni government to agree what security measures need to be put in place before flights are resumed. I hope that flights can be resumed soon - but the security of our citizens must be our priority."