 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Founded | 26 October 2008 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ceased operations | 2021 | ||||||
| Fleet size | 3 [1] | ||||||
| Destinations | 5 [2] | ||||||
| Parent company | Yemenia, Al-Tayyar Travel & Tourism Agency, ICD, NTTB | ||||||
| Headquarters | Sana'a, Yemen | ||||||
| Key people | Mohammed Al-Arrasha (Chairman and CEO) | ||||||
| Website | www | ||||||
Felix Airways Limited, also known as Al Saeeda, (both meaning "Happy," from the Roman term for Yemen, Arabia Felix) [3] is a regional airline based in Sana'a, Yemen.
The airline was established in 2008 as a subsidiary of flag carrier Yemenia by the Islamic Bank for Development, to serve the growing market for low-cost travel in the region. [4] In late October 2008, Felix Airways began domestic operations with CRJ 700 aircraft, and expanded both domestically and regionally. [5]
Operations have been severely disrupted since 2015 due to the ongoing military conflict affecting its hub at Sana'a International Airport. [6] [7] From 2015 the airline, in common with the entire Yemeni tourist industry, suffered a near-complete reduction in activity due to the conflict and the siege in the region; Felix Airways flights were reported (in April 2019) to have declined from 55 to only 3 weekly flights. [8] The airline originally also had two Bombardier CRJ700s, but one was destroyed by bombing at Sana'a International Airport in April 2015. [9] [10] [11]
As of February 2021, Felix Airways serves the following scheduled destinations: [2]
As of January 2015 (before the air blockade), Felix Airways served the following destinations: [12]
| City | Country | Airport | Notes | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abha | Saudi Arabia | Abha Regional Airport | ||
| Aden | Yemen | Aden International Airport | Base | [4] |
| Al Ghaydah | Yemen | Al Ghaydah Airport | ||
| Al Hudaydah | Yemen | Hodeida International Airport | ||
| Mukalla | Yemen | Riyan Airport | ||
| Ataq | Yemen | Ataq Airport | ||
| Dammam | Saudi Arabia | King Fahd International Airport | ||
| Hargeisa | Somalia | Hargeisa International Airport | ||
| Jeddah | Saudi Arabia | King Abdulaziz International Airport | ||
| Mogadishu | Somalia | Aden Adde International Airport | ||
| Sana'a | Yemen | Sana'a International Airport | Base | [4] |
| Seiyun | Yemen | Sayun Airport | ||
| Sharjah | United Arab Emirates | Sharjah International Airport | ||
| Socotra | Yemen | Socotra Airport | ||
| Ta'izz | Yemen | Ta'izz International Airport | ||
As of February 2021, the Felix Airways fleet included the following aircraft: [1]
| Aircraft | In Service | Orders | Passengers | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Y | Total | ||||
| Bombardier CRJ200ER | 2 | 8 | — | 50 | 50 | |
| Bombardier CRJ700 | 1 | 0 | — | 60 | 60 | |
| Total | 3 | 0 | ||||
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Yemenia Flight 626 was an Airbus A310-324 twin-engine jet airliner operated by Yemenia that was flying a scheduled international service, from Sana'a in Yemen to Moroni in Comoros, when it crashed on 30 June 2009 at around 1:50 am local time while on approach to Prince Said Ibrahim International Airport, killing all but one of the 153 passengers and crew on board. The sole survivor, 12-year-old girl Bahia Bakari, was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for thirteen hours. Bakari was discharged from the hospital on 23 July 2009.
Topics related to Yemen include:
Yemenia Flight 448 was a domestic scheduled passenger flight piloted by Captain Amer Anis from Sana'a to al-Hudaydah, Yemen, that was hijacked on 23 January 2001. The Yemenia Yemen Airways Boeing 727-2N8 departed Sana'a International Airport bound for a stopover at Taiz-Al Janad Airport, Ta'izz. The passengers included the United States Ambassador to Yemen Barbara Bodine, US Deputy Chief of Mission to Yemen, and the Yemeni Ambassador to the US.
On 26 March 2015, Saudi Arabia, leading a coalition of nine countries from West Asia and North Africa, launched an intervention in Yemen following a request from Yemeni president Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi for military support after his forces were ousted from Sanaʽa by Houthi insurgents during the Yemeni Civil War. The conflict ignited between the government forces, the Houthi rebels and other armed groups after the draft constitution and power-sharing arrangements collapsed, despite progress in the political transition led by the United Nations at that time, leading to an escalation of violence in mid-2014. The Houthis and allied insurgents seized control of Sana’a and other parts of the country in September 2014 and in the following months. This prompted President Hadi to ask Saudi Arabia to intervene against the Iranian-backed Houthis.
The following is a timeline of the Yemeni civil war, which began in September 2014.
