SANA'A, Oct 31 (Bernama) -- The Yemenia Airways has abandoned a previous decision suspending flights to Europe, particularly France, and announced that it will resume flights to the continent in December, the Yemen news agency (SABA) reported citing a local website as saying.

Quoting the state-run September 26 website, the Yemenia Airways Chairman Abdul Khaliq al-Qadhi said the move came after the government ordered the company to resume its journey to Europe.

He said: "The government also pledged to support the company to cope with obstacles facing it, mainly economic, and the flights will see no halt."

The early-July suspension decision was triggered by assault that followed the crash of one of the company's airliners into the Indian Ocean in late June.

Yemen rejected claims that the company was responsible for the crash that killed about 152 passengers and crew members, most French and Comorian people.

"Our company always follows world safety standards, putting the safety of its clients ahead of other air transport priorities, chairman of the company said.

Away from the media, insurance companies had paid compensations for the families of the victims and the cost of the airplane, he affirmed.

The compensations were deemed an apparent confession by those who tried to exploit the incident and harm the company's image and clear evidence that the plane had no technical fault, he said, pointing to claims afterwards the crash that the company safety and maintenance policies were ineffective.

All accusations that the company was responsible for the fall were baseless, he said, affirming the European Airbus Company awarded the Yemenia a perfect maintainer certificate.

Moreover, the company continues flights to many destinations and plans to add more carriers into its fleet to meet soaring demand, start flights to new destinations, and replace its 310-300 aircrafts with modern 320 or 737-800 Boeing airplanes.

-- BERNAMA