Yemen national airline suspends flights from Sanaa to Jordan after Houthi dispute

Yemen’s national carrier has suspended international flights from the capital, Sanaa, to Jordan following a dispute with the Houthis over access to funds, officials said.

Yemen Airways only operate regular commercial flights to the Jordanian capital, Amman, due to an air and sea blockade imposed on the country since 2015 by the Saudi-led military coalition in support of the internationally recognised government against the Iran-backed Houthi group.

On Saturday, an official with the Houthi Transport Ministry told the Houthis’ Saba news agency that “Yemenia flights have been suspended from Sanaa airport.”

The official blamed “aggression countries” saying the suspension signals lack of seriousness to peace and a disregard for all efforts made in this regard.

For its part, the airline blamed the Houthis for the suspension, accusing them of restricting access to company accounts in Sanaa banks since March, a charge the Houthis denied. The company said it was prohibited from accessing more than $80 million in deposits, causing “severe damage to the company’s business.” The Houthis took control of Sanaa in 2014, leading to the outbreak of a war against government forces that left hundreds of thousands dead, displaced millions and plunged the country into one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. The country is largely isolated from the world as a result.

Yemen Airways said its six flights per week from Sanaa to Amman would stop after the end of September “in light of the company not being allowed to withdraw from its accounts”. The airline will, however, continue to operate flights from Aden; the temporary seat of the internationally-recognised government.

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