Protestors Delay Yemenia Flight

Dozens of protesters at the main airport in Paris have tried to block passengers from entering a Yemenia Airlines flight to Comoros, days after a plane crash killed 152 people en route to the Indian Ocean nation.

Photo: Protestors Delay Yemenia Flight

The protesters gathered outside a terminal at Charles de Gaulle aiport on Friday, linking arms to prevent passengers from boarding the flight to the Comoros capital, the Associated Press news agency reported, Aljazeera.net reports.

They want the airline to be put on a black list that will stop it from flying.

One Comoran said the demonstrators were asking French authorities to help by setting up Air France flights to the Comoros for at least the next three months, as in the holiday season French tourists should be able to fly in good conditions, Euronews reports.

Meanwhile, at least 10,000 people, some carrying with banners reading "Never again" and "Life is priceless" marched in the southern French city of Marseille, home to a large expatriate community, in memory of the victims.

Organisers put the number taking part at around 40,000, AFP reports.

Meahwhile Mohamed Abdel Qadir, a senior civil aviation official, told Xinhua that Yemenia flights to Comoros will continue according to schedule. The company is only to suspend its flights to Marseilles after families of the air crash victims staged demonstrations in front of its headquarters in the French city.

However, the official did not give a date for resuming flights to Marseilles.

Yemenia flights to other French cities and European countries will continue, He added, Xinhua reports.