Riyan International Airport
Riyan International Airport مطار الريّان الدولي (Arabic) | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Serves | Mukalla | ||||||||||
| Location | Mukalla, Hadhramaut, Yemen | ||||||||||
| Built | 1982 (current form) | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 16 m / 54 ft | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 14°39′45″N 049°22′30″E / 14.66250°N 49.37500°E | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
RIY Location of airport in Yemen | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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Riyan International Airport (Arabic: مطار الريّان الدولي), also known as the Riyan Mukalla International Airport (Arabic: مطار ريّان المكلا الدولي), is an international airport in Mukalla, Yemen. It is not to be confused with the former RAF Riyan, which was located closer to Mukalla.
History
In 1979, construction of Riyan Airport began with West German engineering consultation, financed by the Kuwait Fund. The total cost for the construction was 10,500 Yemeni rials.[1] Construction of the new airport finished on May 1982.[2]
In 2001, the airport got renamed from "Riyan Airport" to "Mukalla Airport," but its old name remained in use in international civil aviation documents and navigational devices operating at the airport still broadcast its international definition of "Riyan Airport."[2]
In 2008, the airport's Air traffic control and Airport security systems got upgraded and the first ever flight academy in Yemen, Golden Way Academy, got opened.[2]
Flights were suspended in March 2015 as a result of the Yemeni civil war which led Al Qaeda militants to take advantage of the turmoil and control Mukalla. A no-fly zone over Yemen was imposed by the Saudi Arabian-led intervention due to the military conflict.[3] Mukalla was later liberated from Al Qaeda, but the airport remained closed until the Emirates Red Crescent funded the building of new terminals and renovated the old airport at a cost of AED 25 million.
In January 2018, the Airport got renamed back to "Riyan International Airport."[2]
On November 27, 2019, the airport was reopened with the support of the Emirates Red Crescent. The Governor of Hadramawt province, Maj Gen Faraj Al Bahsani, said he was optimistic that the return of flights would bring economic benefits.[4][5] On 9 April 2021, Yemenia, the Yemeni flag carrier, restarted flights to Socotra and Aden.
Airlines and destinations
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Yemenia | Aden, Cairo,[6] Dubai–Al Maktoum,[7] Jeddah, Socotra |
See also
References
- ^ People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen: Special Economic Report — Mid-Term Review of the Second Five Year Plan, 1981–85 (PDF) (Report). World Bank. 4 June 1984. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
- ^ a b c d الغد, عدن. "مقال : عبدالله صالح الشبيبي - عبدالله صالح الشبيبي مطار الريان: تاريخ مطار الريان الدولي". www.adngad.net.
- ^ Ghattas, Abir. "Yemen's No Fly Zone: Thousands of Yemenis are Stranded Abroad". Retrieved 8 April 2015.
- ^ "Yemen's Mukalla airport reopens after al Qaeda driven out".
- ^ "Spotlight: UAE continues rehabilitating airports in war-ravaged Yemen - Xinhua | English.news.cn". Archived from the original on November 28, 2019.
- ^ "Yemenia resumes Riyan Mukhalla - Cairo sector in 1Q15". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
- ^ "Yemenia Adds Dubai al Maktoum Service From mid-July 2024". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 3 July 2024.