Aden (South24 Center)

Jordan has announced an initiative to operate regular Royal Jordanian flights between Amman and Sanaa, although the flights have not yet begun and no launch date has been set.

The announcement, welcomed by Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s internationally recognized government, came as part of efforts to contain an escalating aviation crisis triggered by attempts to operate direct Iranian flights to the Houthi-controlled capital.

Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday, July 17, that Royal Jordanian would work to complete the technical and logistical arrangements required to operate regular flights from Amman to Sanaa.

It added that the initiative was intended to respond to what it described as humanitarian needs in Yemen, support Saudi efforts to advance the peace process, and implement previous understandings concerning commercial flights between Jordan and Yemen.

However, the Jordanian statement did not specify a start date, flight schedule, or expected number of services.

Saudi Arabia welcomed the initiative, saying it would help meet the humanitarian needs of the Yemeni people and facilitate civilian movement. The Saudi Foreign Ministry also urged the Houthis to respond positively to the initiative rather than take further escalatory steps.

Yemen’s internationally recognized government said it would provide the necessary facilities to ensure the initiative’s success, stressing that alleviating citizens’ suffering was a national priority that should be pursued without compromising the country’s sovereignty.

It added that the Jordanian proposal was consistent with previous offers it had made to operate Sanaa airport legally and safely through Yemenia Airways or other authorized carriers, to any destination agreed upon by the relevant authorities.

The government stressed that the state retains exclusive authority over Yemen’s airspace and airports. It accused the Houthis of obstructing previous efforts to restore Yemenia’s operations, seizing the airline’s funds and assets, and exploiting airports for political and military purposes.

It warned the Houthis against “missing this opportunity” and continuing what it described as rhetoric of mobilization and escalation that serves the Iranian project rather than the interests of Yemenis.

In response, a source in the Houthi negotiating delegation set conditions that appeared closer to rejecting the initiative in its current limited form.

The source told the Houthi-run Al-Masirah channel that flights to Sanaa would be welcomed only if they were operated under an agreement with the Houthi authorities in Sanaa and without restrictions or prior conditions.

The delegation demanded that Sanaa airport be opened to all international destinations rather than limiting flights to the Amman route. It also linked the aviation issue to broader demands, including the payment of public-sector salaries in Houthi-controlled areas.

The source described the Royal Jordanian initiative as an attempt to circumvent those demands through temporary measures that could be halted at any time and used as a tool of political pressure “through a phone call from the Saudi regime.”

Abdulwahid Abu Ras, deputy foreign minister in the Houthi administration, also played down the significance of the announcement. He said decisions by airlines to resume flights were their own concern, arguing that such announcements did not meet the group’s demand for the airport to be reopened fully and without conditions.

The announcement came four days after a serious confrontation over a flight operated by Iran’s Mahan Air, which had been expected to return a Houthi delegation from Tehran to Sanaa.

On July 13, Yemen’s Ministry of Defense said government forces had targeted the runway at Sanaa International Airport to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing, after the Houthis rejected arrangements to return the delegation aboard a plane chartered by Yemenia Airways.

The Iranian aircraft was unable to land in Sanaa and was diverted to Hodeidah airport, which is also under Houthi control.

The Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out the strikes and later launched a missile attack on Saudi Arabia’s Abha airport.

Before the confrontation, Iran had requested permission, through the Saudi-led coalition, to operate a Mahan Air flight from Tehran to Sanaa.

Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council rejected the request but proposed returning the Houthi delegation aboard an aircraft chartered by Yemenia Airways.

The government said the Houthis and Iran nevertheless insisted on using Mahan Air, considering the move an attempt to establish a direct Tehran-Sanaa air route outside the authority of Yemen’s internationally recognized state.

Limited commercial flights between Sanaa and Amman resumed in May 2022 under arrangements linked to the UN-brokered truce.

Since then, the Sanaa-Amman route has become one of the few available air corridors for residents of Houthi-controlled areas, particularly patients, students, and other travelers.

However, flights were suspended again in May 2025 after Israeli strikes targeted Sanaa airport and destroyed Yemenia aircraft stationed there, leading to the suspension of services between Sanaa and Amman.