Summary
- Yemenia Airways to resume Sana’a-Amman flights thrice daily, aiding humanitarian efforts.
- Potential expansion to Cairo and India is also on the table, as well as addressing the company’s administrative, technical, and financial issues.
- The return of seized aircraft, de-escalation of tensions, and agreements on ceasefire are part of the UN’s Roadmap for a nationwide ceasefire.
Important news emerged this week from Yemen as the varying powers in play came to an agreement on the resumption of Yemenia Airways services after a half-year hiatus due to the war in the country. The carrier, which is understood to operate a fleet of Airbus A320-200s, will be resuming its only international connection to Jordan’s capital, Amman.
Related
Yemen’s Flag Carrier: A Brief History Of Yemenia
The carrier was part of a merger more than a quarter of a century ago.
Sana’a-Amman returns
On July 25, Yemenia Airways is set to resume flights on the route connecting Yemen’s capital, Sana’a, with its Jordanian equivalent, Amman. Local media are reporting that flights will operate thrice daily. It is unclear at what times the flights are scheduled, although the inaugural took off at 8 a.m., according to Flightradar24 data. It was operated by 7O-AFC which returned to Sana’a at around 15:00 local time, about an hour later than scheduled.
Photo: Flightradar24
This development is important, especially given that the capital has no other regularly scheduled passenger flights. The latest move comes as relations develop between the internationally recognized Yemeni government based in Aden and Iran-backed Houthi (Ansar Allah) forces that control Sana’a. The Yemeni government controls much of the south and the east of the country, while the Houthis control the north, including Sana’a.
The connection to Amman is crucial in terms of humanitarian necessity. In a statement, Yemenia Airways said it appreciated “the efforts made by the revolutionary and political leadership in opening Sana’a International Airport to important destinations that will work to alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people.”
Growth elsewhere
The agreement also hints at the possibility of expanding Yemenia Airways’ network further to Egypt and an unspecified destination in India. There could also be flights to multiple cities in India, although that is unclear. Specifically, the agreement says the two parties will work together in “resuming Yemenia Airways’ flights between Sana’a and Jordan, increasing the number of flights to three daily flights, and operating flights to Cairo and India daily or as needed.”
It is understood that the service to India would involve Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM). These flights would begin once regulatory approval has been secured.
As part of the same agreement, the Yemeni government and the Houthis also agreed to address the carrier’s administrative, technical, and financial challenges.
Make no mistake, though: Yemenia Airways has not been a loss-making airline except for 1978. On its website, it says:
“Except for the year 1982, its bottom line of income statement was always positive.”
That said, in recent years, financial troubles have plagued the carrier as a result of the ongoing conflict, pushing operating costs up and revenues down.
The seized Yemenia fleet
Four Yemenia aircraft were seized by Houthi forces at the end of last month, representing the entire active fleet per ch-aviation. This left approximately 1300 Yemeni pilgrims stranded in Saudi Arabia. Houthi forces later returned the aircraft to the airline, which then operated repatriation flights.
Sana’a Airport has been under Houthi control since 2014. Commercial flights returned in May 2022 as part of a UN-brokered truce. However, with tensions rising in recent months, regular operations were put at risk and eventually suspended.
The airline operates a full Airbus fleet comprising three Airbus A320-200s and one Airbus A330-200 (currently undergoing maintenance).
De-escalating tensions
The latest news is a positive development for a country declared by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) as having one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. More than 21 million Yemenis were counted as being in need of assistance last year, with the closure of ports and import access points also having a detrimental impact notably on food supplies.
The de-escalation of tensions and agreement on Yemenia Airways is part of a December 2023 announcement by UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg. He said that all parties had agreed on a set of measures to implement a nationwide ceasefire and improve living conditions, with the UN Roadmap including a point on easing restrictions on Sana’a Airport.
In a media briefing at the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, Grundberg confirmed:
“On the domestic front, the parties informed me last night that they reached an agreement on four points to de-escalate the months-long standoff on the banking sector and on the operation of Yemenia Airways. Similar to the commitments they made in December, the understanding they reached last night also underlines the commitments to convene and engage in dialogue.”