Arab Countries

Jordan announces initiative to operate regular flights between Amman and Sanaa

Ömer Aşur Çuhadar

July 17, 2026 • Updated: July 17, 2026

ISTANBUL

Istanbul / Anadolu

The Jordanian Foreign Ministry clarified that the initiative comes in response to humanitarian needs in Yemen and in support of Saudi efforts regarding the "peace path" in the country.

The Yemeni government confirmed its "full commitment to providing all necessary facilities to ensure the success of this initiative."

Jordan has announced an initiative to operate regular flights between Amman and Sanaa in response to "humanitarian needs" in Yemen and to support Saudi efforts to "bolster the peace path" in the country.

This was stated in a declaration released by the Jordanian Foreign Ministry on Friday.

The ministry stated: "In response to the humanitarian needs of our brothers in the Republic of Yemen, and in support of the efforts of the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to support the peace path in Yemen, and in implementation of previous understandings regarding the operation of commercial flights between Jordan and Yemen, Royal Jordanian Airlines will implement an initiative to operate regular flights from Amman to Sanaa."

The ministry did not specify a start date for the flights or their frequency, noting only that work is underway to complete the necessary technical and logistical procedures for their operation.

The Jordanian move opens a regular air route to Sanaa, which has been under the control of the Houthi group since September 2014, while the internationally recognized Yemeni government is based in the temporary capital, Aden.

The announcement follows tensions regarding flight activity at Sanaa Airport, after the Yemeni government announced last Monday that its forces had bombed the airport runway to prevent an Iranian plane from landing, considering the action a response to a violation of the country's sovereignty.

The Yemeni government previously condemned Iran's sending of a plane to Sanaa on July 3, 2026, stating that its purpose was "to transport a Houthi delegation to Tehran."

According to Yemeni media, that was the first declared Iranian flight to reach Sanaa airport in about ten years, while Tehran did not issue a comment on the matter.

On July 3, the Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah channel reported that a delegation from the group had traveled to Iran to participate in the funeral ceremonies for former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a US-Israeli strike on February 28, 2026.