A Brief History Of Yemenia

Yemenia serves as Yemen’s nationwide airline, and has achieved so beneath its present identification for the reason that Seventies. Nonetheless, its historical past on the whole dates again even additional, having been established beneath a distinct identify a number of a long time earlier. Let’s have a look again on the story of this service, which has hit the headlines in latest weeks.

Earlier names

The precise yr to which Yemenia’s roots will be traced again is troublesome to put, however ATDB.aero places it at 1954. This was when a service referred to as Yemen Airways got here into existence, though it wasn’t formally the nation’s flag service at this stage.

As an alternative, it solely assumed this function in 1962, upon being issued a brand new license following the proclamation of the Yemen Arab Republic. 5 years later, in 1967, the institution of a cooperation with United Arab Airways, the flag service of Egypt on the time, resulted in a reputation change. Thereafter, it was known as Yemen Arab Airways.

In 1971, the United Arab Republic’s identify was modified to the Arab Republic of Egypt, with United Arab Airways’ identify consequently altering to Egyptair. A yr later, its Yemen-based accomplice was renamed as Yemen Airways following a nationalization program. At the moment, it was flying Douglas DC-3s and DC-6s with 60 staff.

Turning into Yemenia

5 years into its tenure as Yemen Airways, the nationalized service grew to become the topic of a three way partnership between the governments of Yemen and Saudi Arabia. This noticed the latter purchase a 49% stake within the airline, with the previous retaining 51% possession. This opened the door for progress, and it had 750 staff by 1980.

In the meantime, the service had additionally turn into referred to as Yemenia by this time. Moreover, it had entered the jet age at this level, with plane from the Boeing 727 and 737 households amongst these in its fleet. By the mid-Nineteen Eighties, Yemenia’s workforce had grown to over 1,000, and its fleet additionally included De Havilland Sprint 7s.

Yemen, as we all know it in the present day, took place in 1990, when the governments of South Yemen and the Yemen Arab Republic agreed to unify into one nation. Because of this, South Yemen’s flag service, Alyemda, was merged into Yemenia in 1996, 4 years after Yemen purchased again the Saudi authorities’s share within the airline.

Latest historical past

In addition to the merger with Alyemda, the mid-Nineties additionally noticed Yemenia turn into an operator of each the Airbus A310-200 and A310-300 fashions. Sadly, one of many latter was concerned within the service’s worst accident in June 2009. This resulted within the deaths of all however certainly one of its 153 occupants, and the service has just lately been charged in court docket with the manslaughter of 65 French victims.

As we speak, information from ch-aviation.com exhibits that the Aden-based airline operates 17 routes to 13 locations throughout eight international locations. It now not flies the A310, with its fleet as an alternative consisting of 4 A320s, one A330, and one Boeing 757.

What do you make of Yemenia’s historical past? Have you ever ever flown with the airline? Tell us your ideas and experiences within the feedback!

Learn Subsequent