Operations at Cairo's international airport have become increasingly chaotic as thousands of travelers try to escape the increasing violence in Egypt.
According to local reports, up to 3,500 passengers were forced to spend the night at the airport on Tuesday, mainly because airlines canceled many of their scheduled flights. Several passengers reported they were forced to pay up to $2,000 in bribes to security staff or police in order to be allowed to board. One source counted a total of 19 checkpoints on the way from downtown Cairo to the airport.
During the day, the number of passengers at the airport is understood to have risen to about 18,000. State-owned carrier Egyptair canceled roughly two-thirds of its services, according to some reports. At the same time, other airlines dispatched charter flights to Cairo to fly out as many travelers as possible. Among the countries that organized charters, China dispatched a total of six aircraft and Austria sent a military transport that was also used by other Europeans. Lufthansa used three Boeing 747-400s on a single day to fly home more than 1,000 Germans. Thai Airways operated a second rescue flight. The government of Iraq sent three jets to Cairo, among them even the presidential transport. In addition, many private jets were recorded to have flown people out of Egypt
Foreigners are trying to leave the country as a result of poor safety in Egypt's cities. While anti-government demonstrations have remained non-violent for the most part until Wednesday, there have been numerous reports about lootings and shootings, particularly in Cairo and Alexandria. The government appears to have ordered police not to interfere, leaving public security in the hands of citizens, who rapidly organized themselves into neighborhood watch groups.
The situation appeared to become even worse on Wednesday with initial reports of severe violence at Tahrir Square, a large plaza in downtown Cairo that has been the center of protests against President Hosni Mubarak the past few days. Mubarak on Tuesday stated that he would step down after the current presidential term expires in September, but protests continued nevertheless demanding his immediate resignation.
Egypt's military so far tolerated the protests but on Wednesday demanded an end to the demonstrations. Also, Mubarak supporters-allegedly police officers on horses and camels-appeared on Tahrir square and engaged protesters in violent fights. More than 100 injured were reported in the afternoon.
According to data collected by the Center for Asia Pacific Aviation, Egypt is served by 79 airlines. Egyptair has a 37% share of the international market, followed by Saudi Arabian Airlines (6%), Thomson Airways (4%) and Transaero (3%)-the latter two mainly through their large exposure to leisure destinations Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada. Egyptair is by far the hardest hit, and with it Star Alliance is also suffering, as the group has been trying to develop Cairo Airport into its hub for North Africa.\
Air Arabia Egypt is also significantly affected. The Air Arabia affiliate has a 2% market share. Shares of parent Air Arabia lost more than 10% since the beginning of the crisis.
Of the other Middle Eastern countries that could see disruptions as protests sweep through the region, Jordan is the most important in terms of the air transport industry. Royal Jordanian is a Oneworld member, and Amman Airport is used as the alliance's main gateway to the region. Jordan's King Abdullah sacked the government following protests for political reform. Most observers believe the situation will stay more controlled than in Egypt.
Hundreds of pro- and anti-government protesters have gathered in different parts Yemen's capital, Sana'a, on what opposition supporters have called a "day of rage."
The rallies come a day after President Ali Abdullah Saleh told Yemen's parliament he will not try to extend his presidency when his current term runs out in 2013, and that his son would not seek to be his successor.
Mr. Saleh, who has ruled for 32 years, also called for a halt to all planned demonstrations.
The Yemeni opposition said it welcomed his announcement, but said it would continue a string of rallies activists have said were inspired by demonstrations in Tunisia and Egypt.
The opposition has not demanded Mr. Saleh's ouster thus far, but has asked for reforms and a smooth transition of power through elections.
Yemen, at risk of becoming a failed state, is trying to fight a resurgent al-Qaida wing, quell a southern separatist movement and cement peace for Shi'ite rebels in the north - all in the face of crushing poverty.
Mr. Saleh has proposed raising salaries for civil workers and the military in the wake of the protests. He has also ordered income taxes cut in half and has instructed his government to install price controls.
In Cairo's Al-Ahram Weekly newspaper, Abdel-Wahab Elmessiri, a memner of the Egyptian Movement for Change (Kifaya), an anti-government group, said: "Since the 1977 bread riots political awareness among the people has been in decline. However, they have been restoring it step by step of late. Even pilgrims organised sit-in strikes during the pilgrimage season in Mecca, and strikes have been organised by civil servants, unheard of in Egypt's modern history."
Ammar Ali Hassan, director of the Middle East Studies and Research Centre, told the paper: "The atmosphere that prevailed before and during the 1977 bread riots is similar to now, especially in that there is no confidence in the government. The desire to protest has overwhelmed a large sector of society."
Hassan added that while current living conditions in Egypt are "much worse than in 1997, the ordinary Egyptian nowadays is unable to stage wide protests because he has become fragile. Egyptians in 1977 were more politicised than now and the regime's security grip was less strong."
However, Mohamed Kamal, member of the ruling National Democratic Party's Policies Committee, told Al-Ahram that the current riots are not so extraordinary, and will not cause any social upheaval.
"Egyptian society is going through a period of political and economic mobility," he said. "Our society is witnessing an unprecedented degree of freedom of expression, and it's normal for societies in a state of transition to experience what's happening in Egypt."
Kamal also noted that the Egyptian is not responsible for the rise in food prices, which is happening across the developing world.
"The government continues to subsidise basic foodstuffs, and at the same time increases salaries, the problem is that the increase in salaries hasn't matched inflation," he said.
References
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/middle-east/Competing-Protests-Begin-in-Yemeni-Capital-115170944.html
by Thomas Woodfin
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Democratic Peace Theory
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