Summary
- Yemenia Airways will suspend commercial flights to Jordan
- The airline had recently increased flights to Jordan, but negotiations with the Houthis failed to secure the release of funds.
- The suspension of flights could bring back hardships for Yemenis who rely on the airline for medical travel and other needs.
Yemenia Airways will suspend commercial flights to Jordan this month due to the Houthi administration blocking the airline from being able to withdraw funds from banks in Sanaa, Yemen’s capital. The route from Sanaa to Jordan is reportedly the carrier’s only international commercial flight.
The airline has only been flying the route for over a year after reinstating it following a deal organized by the United Nations (UN). The suspension of flights comes only a few months after the UN envoy reportedly welcomed an increase in flights between Sanaa and Jordan.
Withholding funds
According to Reuters, Yemenia recently announced it would discontinue its service to Amman, the capital of Jordan, in October. Following its negotiations with the Houthis, airline officials said the carrier could not secure the release of around $80 million in funds. The airline reportedly proposed to take 70% of the funds, and the remaining 30% would be devoted to the internationally recognized government, but the Houthi administration rejected its proposal.
Photo: Yemenia Airways
As a result, Yemenia decided to suspend all flights to Jordan. Reuters reported that the carrier stated that it could not take any funds out from Sanaa banks for several months and accused the Houthi authorities of “illegally” imposing on its assets.
Increasing flights to Jordan
In April of 2022, Yemenia resumed flights to Amman from Sanaa, according to Reuters. Last month, Haitham Misto, the President of the Jordanian Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission, reportedly disclosed that Yemenia had been granted permits to operate more flights to Queen Alia International Airport in Amman. As reported by Jordan News, Misto said on September 3rd that the number of flights between the two cities depended on the Yemeni decisions and local factors.
Two days later, the carrier reportedly began its operation of six weekly flights to Amman from Sanaa. Khaled Al-Shayef, the Director of Sanaa International Airport, also expected the service to increase in early September, according to Jordan News.
Photo: Yemenia Airways
The developments last month come after Hans Grundberg, the UN envoy to Yemen, emphasized the need for lifting all restrictions on freedom of movement into, out of, or within the war-stricken country, according to Gulf Today. Yemenia’s Commercial Director Mohsen Haidara reportedly said the frequency increase to Jordan marked the first stage in the carrier’s plans to expand its route network to other destinations.
History of the route
Houthi rebels took control of Sanaa International Airport when they took over the Yemeni capital nearly 10 years ago. Aligned with Iran, they ousted a Saudi-backed government that formerly had control of the northern part of the country, including Sanaa, according to Reuters. Commercial flights were reportedly suspended as a result but were resumed in 2022 through a deal that the UN arranged.
Yemenia has since operated flights between Yemen and Jordan intermittently to carry passengers and assist with medical travel needs for locals seeking treatment abroad, according to Gulf News. Now that the flights are suspended once again, hardships that Yemenis once faced could arise again.
Sources: Reuters, Jordan News, Gulf News