Whoa: FlyAden Launches In Yemen, Bringing Competition 🇾🇪
- Konrad Tillman
- 20 hours ago
- 3 min read
Intro
Yemen has always had a very special place in my heart, especially after recently visiting Aden a few months ago. However, one of the biggest issues came with booking a flight to the Mainland. Most flights are sold out for weeks, and with virtually no competition from Yemenia, fares were high, and locals were stuck paying 800 USD round-trip.
Well, as it would turn out, there is a new airline that has just launched in Aden, and this is extremely exciting for not just the airline industry but the country as a whole.
The Details
FlyAden, formed in 2024 and recently receiving their certification in early 2025, is the latest airline to launch operations in Mainland Yemen. While you will currently see Air Djibouti, Yemenia, and African Express serving Aden, FlyAden will mark the fourth carrier flying into the defunct capital.
As of now, FlyAden currently has a singular leased Boeing 737-800 in its fleet, featuring a few rows of business class, serving 5x weekly flights from Aden to Cairo round-trip. While there is only 1 route being served at the moment, FlyAden is currently in the works to acquire two A320s in hopes of expanding to more destinations.
For now, it seems that service from Aden-Cairo is served on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, with the returns coming the day after back to Aden.
Now, I have to say, this is quite interesting to have the plane sit on the ground for 16 hours in Cairo instead of their hub, Aden. One would have to presume that this is for insurance reasons, especially after what happened to the Yemenia plane in Sanaa, but it still begs the question: how is the airline planning to be profitable by having a plane grounded for 16 hours per day?
Pricing
Well, how do they maintain a profit, I previously asked... With astronomical fares that match up with Yemenia. One of my hopes for a new airline out of Aden would have been that competition would finally make the fares drop, but it seems like that isn't happening. FlyAden isn't looking to undercut the market; instead, they are coming in right where Yemenia left off.
Flights to Cairo sit around 550 USD round-trip, with many dates upwards of 600 USD round-trip in economy.
Why are prices so high? Two reasons. Firstly, insurance is high on these planes operating to Aden, as Yemen is technically still in a "civil war", albeit the reality is that it is currently a cold civil war in the South. Secondly, the airline can get away with it. As I mentioned in the intro, Yemenia's flights are sold out for weeks in advance at times, so why would the airline price lower than they can, when they are selling out their tickets? A sad reality...
Whatever. However, on better news, it seems that Visa and American Express seem to be accepted, which marks the first time we have seen this in Yemen for a while, as there are no official banks in Yemen at the moment. Funnily enough, banks used to be headquartered here a long time ago.
Final Thoughts
It's an exciting time for Yemen, as there is a brand new flag carrier that has just begun operations. Serving Cairo 5x weekly from Aden, FlyAden currently operates this route with a 737-800. However, the airline has been in talks to acquire two A320s in hopes of expanding service to the likes of Saudi Arabia and a few other destinations. It's interesting to see the 737 sit on the ground in Cairo for 16 hours, and would love to hear your thoughts on it.
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