The airline that survived a decade of war and hijackings

Wealth & Business · Published 20 October 2026 · Updated 22 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Yemenia is more than a flag carrier; it is a survivor of geopolitical upheaval. From being hijacked by Iraqi and local perpetrators to enduring a decade of civil war and missile strikes, the airline has navigated a volatile history of nationalization, fleet destruction, and complex international diplomacy.

Founded in the 1940s by King Ahmad bin Yahya as Yemen Airlines, the carrier became the nation's flag carrier in 1962. Its history is marked by shifting ownership and structural changes. In 1977, it became a joint venture between Yemen and Saudi Arabia (51% and 49% shares, respectively), a partnership that lasted until 1992 when Yemen bought back the Saudi shares to merge with the airline of South Yemen. By 1996, the unified carrier was rebranded as Yemenia.

The airline's operational history is punctuated by high-stakes security incidents. It faced multiple hijackings, including a 1973 diversion to Kuwait and a 2001 hijacking by an Iraqi man that ended in Djibouti. More recently, the carrier has been a target of modern warfare. In 2015, a Boeing 747SP was destroyed by militia gunfire at Aden airport. By May 2025, a series of Israeli airstrikes on Sanaa International Airport resulted in the destruction of all four of Yemenia's operational aircraft.

Despite these setbacks, Yemenia has maintained a presence in the global aviation network. It survived a 2010 suspension of UK flights due to terrorism concerns and managed to resume limited commercial operations from Sanaa in 2022. Even in 2023, it facilitated a significant direct flight between Yemen and Saudi Arabia for Hajj pilgrims. However, the carrier remains caught in a cycle of conflict, with its facilities seized by rebels and its fleet repeatedly targeted by aerial campaigns.

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