Yemen National Airline Restarts Direct Flights to Saudi Arabia After Nearly 8-Year Hiatus

Yemenia Airways, Yemen’s national airline, resumed direct flights from Houthi-controlled Sanaa to Saudi Arabian cities Jeddah and Medina on Saturday, after a nearly eight-year suspension. This breakthrough comes as international efforts to broker peace in war-torn Yemen continue.

Since the Houthi rebels took control of Sanaa International Airport in 2014, commercial flights have been largely suspended. The recent resumption aims to facilitate travel for Yemeni pilgrims to Saudi Arabia. This development follows intermittent flights from Sanaa to Amman, Jordan, which were mediated by the United Nations in May 2022, aiding Yemenis seeking medical treatment abroad.

Since 2014, Yemen has been embroiled in a military conflict sparked by Houthi militia’s seizure of northern cities and the government’s ousting from Sanaa. The ongoing strife has resulted in numerous casualties and thrust Yemen, the Arab world’s poorest nation, into a severe humanitarian crisis, marked by widespread famine.