Commercial Flights Resume at Sana'a Airport After Israeli Strikes
The Houthis announce the resumption of flights following a 10-day suspension due to airstrikes targeting the facility.
On May 17, 2025, the Houthi movement in Yemen announced the resumption of commercial flights at Sana'a International Airport after a ten-day suspension caused by Israeli airstrikes.
The official Houthi news agency, Saba, reported that flights resumed today with the Yemeni Airlines operating once again.
A flight from Queen Alia International Airport in Jordan landed in Sana'a carrying 138 passengers, while the same aircraft departed Sana'a bound for Amman with approximately 144 passengers.
Yahya Al-Sayani, deputy minister of transport and public works in the Houthi-controlled government, stated that the resumption of flights represents a message of Yemen's resilience against foreign aggression.
He further indicated that Sana'a Airport is operating at full technical and operational capacity, providing navigation and ground services in accordance with international standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
The Houthi authorities plan to increase flight frequency to four daily operations in the days ahead.
Humanitarian flights resumed at Sana'a Airport on Thursday, with ten United Nations missions reported to have taken off and landed.
The Houthi movement had previously suspended international and humanitarian flights from the airport on May 7, 2025, following Israeli airstrikes that targeted the facility.
On May 6, the Israeli military launched extensive strikes in the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, which included attacks on the airport, central electricity stations, and a cement factory, coming a day after announcing an operation that targeted the port of Al-Hudaydah.
Houthi officials previously claimed that the Israeli raids caused significant damage to Sana'a Airport, rendering it fully inoperable and impacting humanitarian operations, estimating damages from the attacks at around $500 million.
These airstrikes followed an incident in which Houthi forces targeted Ben Gurion Airport in Israel with a hypersonic ballistic missile, resulting in injuries to eight individuals and prompting millions of residents to seek shelter.
From 2016 to 2022, commercial operations at Sana'a Airport were largely halted, with only UN-organized flights allowed due to the ongoing conflict between the internationally recognized government (supported by a Saudi-led coalition) and the Houthis.
Aerial restrictions imposed by the coalition on Sana'a were largely lifted in 2022 following a ceasefire agreement that ceased hostilities for six months.
Although this truce was not renewed, significant fighting came to a halt.
The Houthi leadership maintains that they are launching missiles at Israel in support of the Palestinian people in Gaza, vowing to continue such actions as long as Israel's military operations persist against Gaza.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has engaged in military operations in Gaza, which have reportedly resulted in significant casualties, with estimates of around 174,000 Palestinians killed or injured, many of whom are women and children, alongside over 11,000 reported missing.
The official Houthi news agency, Saba, reported that flights resumed today with the Yemeni Airlines operating once again.
A flight from Queen Alia International Airport in Jordan landed in Sana'a carrying 138 passengers, while the same aircraft departed Sana'a bound for Amman with approximately 144 passengers.
Yahya Al-Sayani, deputy minister of transport and public works in the Houthi-controlled government, stated that the resumption of flights represents a message of Yemen's resilience against foreign aggression.
He further indicated that Sana'a Airport is operating at full technical and operational capacity, providing navigation and ground services in accordance with international standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
The Houthi authorities plan to increase flight frequency to four daily operations in the days ahead.
Humanitarian flights resumed at Sana'a Airport on Thursday, with ten United Nations missions reported to have taken off and landed.
The Houthi movement had previously suspended international and humanitarian flights from the airport on May 7, 2025, following Israeli airstrikes that targeted the facility.
On May 6, the Israeli military launched extensive strikes in the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, which included attacks on the airport, central electricity stations, and a cement factory, coming a day after announcing an operation that targeted the port of Al-Hudaydah.
Houthi officials previously claimed that the Israeli raids caused significant damage to Sana'a Airport, rendering it fully inoperable and impacting humanitarian operations, estimating damages from the attacks at around $500 million.
These airstrikes followed an incident in which Houthi forces targeted Ben Gurion Airport in Israel with a hypersonic ballistic missile, resulting in injuries to eight individuals and prompting millions of residents to seek shelter.
From 2016 to 2022, commercial operations at Sana'a Airport were largely halted, with only UN-organized flights allowed due to the ongoing conflict between the internationally recognized government (supported by a Saudi-led coalition) and the Houthis.
Aerial restrictions imposed by the coalition on Sana'a were largely lifted in 2022 following a ceasefire agreement that ceased hostilities for six months.
Although this truce was not renewed, significant fighting came to a halt.
The Houthi leadership maintains that they are launching missiles at Israel in support of the Palestinian people in Gaza, vowing to continue such actions as long as Israel's military operations persist against Gaza.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has engaged in military operations in Gaza, which have reportedly resulted in significant casualties, with estimates of around 174,000 Palestinians killed or injured, many of whom are women and children, alongside over 11,000 reported missing.
