Sanaa [Yemen], June 18:Yemen's national airline Yemenia Airways restarted on Saturday direct flights from Houthi-held Sanaa to Saudi Arabia after a nearly-eight-year suspension.
The flights connect the Yemeni capital of Sanaa with the Saudi cities of Jeddah and Madinah and are intended to help Yemeni pilgrims travel to the kingdom, marking another breakthrough amid ongoing international efforts to pave the way for peace in Yemen.
Commercial flights from Sanaa International Airport have been suspended since it came under the control of Houthi rebels in 2014.
In May 2022, Yemenia was able to intermittently operate flights between Sanaa and Amman, the capital of Jordan, after mediation by the United Nations. These flights facilitated passenger transportation and assisted Yemenis in seeking medical treatment abroad.
Yemen has been locked in a military conflict since the Houthi militia took control of several northern cities and ousted the Yemeni government from Sanaa in 2014.
The ongoing conflict has resulted in a staggering number of casualties and plunged the Arab world's poorest country into humanitarian crises, including widespread famine.
Source: Xinhua