Overview
- An airport official said 416 foreign visitors will start departing on Jan. 7 on Yemenia Airways flights from Socotra via Aden to Jeddah.
- Authorities and diplomats say the group includes Russians, Americans, British, French, Poles and at least two Chinese nationals, with consular help constrained by limited on-the-ground presence.
- Air Arabia charters from Abu Dhabi were halted after a state of emergency and airspace restrictions, severing the island’s usual route for tourists.
- The Russian embassy flagged a US$700 Yemenia seat on Jan. 7 and indicated more flights are expected, while some travelers have been advised to consider sea passage to Oman.
- The disruption follows UAE-backed STC clashes with Saudi-backed forces on the mainland and a UAE troop pullout, as Hadramout’s governor pledges to restore ports and airports under government control.