Barran Press
On Wednesday, June 5th, 2024, Yemen's internationally recognized government's Ministry of Transport issued a directive to Yemenia Airlines, ordering the transfer of all past and future revenue to the airline's bank accounts in Aden, the interim capital, or to its overseas accounts.
The ministry's statement, published on its official website and monitored by "Barran Press," cited the need to "protect the company's revenue from the control of the Houthi group, designated as a terrorist organization by the international community." The statement further emphasized the importance of securing funds for the airline's operations, fleet development, and modernization, especially after the seizure of over $100 million from its accounts in Sana'a banks by Houthis.
The ministry referenced previous correspondences on this matter, citing the presidential decree to relocate all government ministries and institutions to Aden. The decision also aligned with the Central Bank of Yemen's directives in Aden, which had suspended dealings with commercial banks for failing to relocate their headquarters to the city. These banks were handling transactions for Yemenia and its agents in provinces under Houthi control.
The directive mandates Yemenia Airlines to deposit all ticket sales proceeds into its accounts in Aden or overseas, effective June 2nd. Additionally, the airline is ordered to promptly relocate its remaining operations in Sana'a to its main headquarters in Aden.
On May 30th, the Central Bank in Aden issued Decree No. 20 of 2024, halting transactions with six Yemeni banks after a 60-day deadline for relocating their headquarters to Aden expired.
The central bank's statement, published on its official website and accessed by "Bran Press," attributed the decision to "non-compliance with legal provisions and bank instructions."
The banks affected by the suspension include Al-Tadamon Bank, Yemen Kuwait Bank, Yemen and Bahrain General Bank, Amal Bank for Microfinance, Al-Karima Bank for Islamic Microfinance, and Yemen International Bank.