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Yemen's National Airline Suspends Flights from, to Sanaa

Sanaa International Airport (Facebook)
Sanaa International Airport (Facebook)
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Yemen's National Airline Suspends Flights from, to Sanaa

Sanaa International Airport (Facebook)
Sanaa International Airport (Facebook)

Yemen's national airline, Yemenia, has suspended its entire flights from and to Yemen's capital Sanaa for the whole month of October in response to the Houthi administration blocking the carrier from withdrawing its funds in Sanaa banks for the six last months, Yemeni sources working in the traveling sector told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Yemenia halted the flights after negotiations with the Houthis failed to secure the release of airline funds, which executives at the carrier said amounted to $80 million.

Normally, the Yemeni airline schedules its flights to and from Sanaa Airport in the second half of September.

The sources explained that travel offices had been waiting for two weeks to receive the new flight schedule before they were informed on Friday that the company had suspended all its flights.

Yemenia said in a statement that it had been unable to withdraw its funds in Sanaa banks for several months. It called on the Houthi authorities to lift restrictions “illegally” imposed on its assets.

The company added that it was aware of the latest political developments in the country and the recent and important changes. The war that has been going on for seven years had and continues to affect the company’s activity as the only national carrier, which acted objectively facing the country’s tensions, it said.

Also, Yemenia had proposed the Houthi administration take 70 percent of the funds while the remaining 30 percent would go to the internationally recognized government, it said.

The Houthi administration rejected the offer which was when the airline decided to suspend flights to Jordan, the company added.

In the past months, Yemenia had also tried to rely on its other internal resources and added three additional flights between Amman and Sanaa airports as a goodwill move.

“We again received a request to operate from Sanaa airport without being allowed to withdraw from the company’s assets, which causes us additional and significant harm,” it added.

The company has reiterated the need to remain neutral in any political conflict so that it can properly carry out its functions, noting that its funds in the Sanaa banks have exceeded $80 million.

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Ankara: Assad Does Not Want Peace in Syria

Fidan addresses the Planning and Budget Committee of the Turkish Parliament (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
Fidan addresses the Planning and Budget Committee of the Turkish Parliament (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
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Ankara: Assad Does Not Want Peace in Syria

Fidan addresses the Planning and Budget Committee of the Turkish Parliament (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
Fidan addresses the Planning and Budget Committee of the Turkish Parliament (Turkish Foreign Ministry)

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has stated that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is unwilling to pursue peace in Syria and warned that Israel’s efforts to spread war across the Middle East are undermining the environment fostered by the Astana Process.

Fidan emphasized the importance of Russian and Iranian efforts within the framework of the Astana Process to maintain calm on the ground, pointing to ongoing consultations with the US regarding the Syrian crisis.

Speaking during a parliamentary session discussing the 2025 budget of the Foreign Ministry, Fidan reiterated Türkiye’s expectation that the dialogue proposed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be approached strategically by the Syrian government, with priority given to the interests of the Syrian people.

Regarding Erdogan’s invitation to Assad for a meeting to discuss the normalization of ties between Ankara and Damascus, Fidan remarked that the matter depends on political will, stressing that the Turkish president has demonstrated his readiness at the highest level.

Last week, Erdogan reiterated the possibility of a meeting with Assad, but Russia, which mediates the normalization talks between Ankara and Damascus, ruled out such a meeting or high-level engagements in the near future.

Russian Presidential Envoy to Syria Alexander Lavrentiev attributed the impasse to Türkiye’s refusal to meet Damascus’ demand for a withdrawal from northern Syria, accusing Ankara of acting as an “occupying state”.

Although Türkiye has not officially responded to Lavrentiev’s comments, which reflect a shift in Russia’s stance, Fidan stated in a televised interview last week that Russia remains “somewhat neutral” regarding the normalization process. He also urged the Syrian government to create conditions for the return of 10 million Syrian refugees.

Türkiye maintains that its military presence in northern Syria prevents the country’s division, blocks the establishment of a “terror corridor” along its southern border, and deters new waves of refugees from entering its territory.

Fidan outlined his country’s key objectives in Syria, which include eradicating terrorist groups (such as the Kurdistan Workers’ Party and the Syrian Democratic Forces), preserving Syria’s territorial unity, advancing the political process, and ensuring the safe and voluntary return of Syrian refugees.

Meanwhile, Turkish artillery targeted villages and positions controlled by the Manbij Military Council, affiliated with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), whose main component is the People’s Protection Units (YPG).

On Friday, fierce clashes erupted between the Syrian National Army factions and the SDF in western Tel Abyad, northern Raqqa. Simultaneously, Turkish artillery strikes reportedly killed two SDF members and injured others, with reports of captives and missing personnel.

In retaliation, the SDF shelled Turkish bases in the Ain Issa countryside. Turkish forces responded by deploying military reinforcements amid heightened alert at their bases in Raqqa’s countryside, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).