After months of security concerns, the war-torn state of Yemen has celebrated a rare  boost. The civilian airport in Aden has reopened. The first plane came in from Jordan and landed safely Thursday.

Airport operation means personal and medical travel are possible again. The airport had to be partially rebuilt after it was badly damaged during the civil war. Transport officials say by the end of August, reconstruction to international standards will be complete.

“I hope the flights will be safe. We heard a lot of these events in our country and we noticed that security is a little better now than before, and we hope it gets even better so people will feel safer,” said Sami Fadel, Yemeni citizen.

“Aden is getting better every day, and making a new victory every day. This is the first flight at Aden’s airport for a long time, and it’s a good start for life in Aden, because launching the airport is a start for launching Aden’s economic role,” said Adnan Alkaf, government official.