Yemenia Schedules Twice-Weekly Jeddah-Socotra Flights With Mukalla Stop
Yemenia will strengthen access to Yemen’s remote Socotra archipelago in late September 2026 by scheduling twice-weekly Airbus A320 service from King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) in Jeddah.
Beginning September 29, Flight IY525 will operate nonstop from Jeddah Airport (JED) to Socotra Airport (SCT) every Tuesday and Thursday. The return service, Flight IY526, will travel from Socotra to Riyan International Airport (RIY), which serves Mukalla, before continuing to Jeddah.
The latest Yemenia schedule filing describes the operation as a Jeddah–Socotra–Mukalla–Jeddah triangle route rather than a conventional round trip.
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Yemenia’s Jeddah–Socotra Schedule
The new schedule is as follows, with all times local:
IY525: King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) 11:00 a.m. – Socotra Airport (SCT) 2:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays
IY526: Socotra Airport (SCT) 3:00 p.m. – Riyan International Airport (RIY) 4:00 p.m.
IY526: Riyan International Airport (RIY) 4:50 p.m. – King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) 7:00 p.m.
Saudi Arabia and Yemen use the same time zone, giving the nonstop Jeddah-to-Socotra flight a scheduled block time of three hours.
The return journey takes four hours from departure at Socotra Airport (SCT) to arrival at Jeddah Airport (JED), including a 50-minute stop at Riyan Airport (RIY).
The stop is expected to support refueling and transit handling before the aircraft continues across the Red Sea to Saudi Arabia. Yemenia has not publicly detailed whether passengers traveling from Socotra will remain aboard during the Mukalla stop. Tour operators selling Socotra packages have previously described the Riyan stop as a refueling stop.
RIY Refers to Mukalla, Not Riyadh
The airport code shown in the return schedule could create confusion among passengers and even some aviation readers.
Riyan International Airport uses the IATA code RIY and serves the port city of Mukalla in Yemen’s Hadramawt region. Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport uses the code RUH.
Yemenia’s own flight schedule portal lists Riyan and Riyadh as separate destinations. The return flight therefore does not travel through the Saudi capital. It remains within Yemen between Socotra Airport (SCT) and Riyan Airport (RIY) before continuing to Jeddah Airport (JED).
The routing also provides a direct domestic connection from Socotra to Mukalla on the same aircraft. Depending on Yemenia’s traffic rights and sales arrangements, the flight could carry a mix of passengers traveling between Socotra and Mukalla and those continuing internationally to Jeddah.
This Is Not Yemenia’s First Jeddah–Socotra Flight
The September 2026 schedule should not be interpreted as Yemenia’s first operation between Jeddah Airport (JED) and Socotra Airport (SCT).
Yemenia operated a direct Jeddah–Socotra flight on January 7, 2026, initially intended to transport foreign tourists who had become stranded on the island following earlier operational disruptions. At the time, airline management said regular weekly service was planned for the future.
Travel companies specializing in Socotra have since marketed Yemenia flights under the same IY525 and IY526 flight numbers, including Tuesday and Thursday departures.
The new reservation filing appears to establish or extend a more structured schedule from September 29 rather than introduce an entirely new city pair. Airline schedules to Socotra can change frequently, and seats are often distributed through authorized tour operators as part of packages that include permits, accommodations, and ground transportation.
Airbus A320 Will Operate the Route
Yemenia will use an Airbus A320-200 for the two weekly rotations.
The airline officially lists the Airbus A320-200 as part of its operating fleet and uses the narrowbody on domestic, regional, and medium-haul international services.
Yemenia’s A320s have historically used a 150-seat, two-class configuration with 12 business-class seats and 138 economy seats. The precise cabin assigned to individual Socotra flights remains subject to aircraft availability.
At 150 seats per departure, two weekly flights would offer up to 300 seats from Jeddah Airport (JED) to Socotra Airport (SCT), with the same potential weekly capacity on the return routing through Mukalla.
Airbus lists the A320ceo with typical seating for 140 to 170 passengers, a maximum capacity of 180, and a range of up to 6,200 kilometers when equipped with Sharklets. The approximately three-hour Jeddah–Socotra sector is therefore comfortably within the aircraft’s capabilities.
The A320 also gives Yemenia enough cargo and baggage capacity for a market that includes international visitors carrying equipment for hiking, camping, diving, and extended guided tours.
Jeddah Provides an Important Gateway to Socotra
Socotra Airport (SCT) has limited scheduled international connectivity, making the Jeddah operation strategically important despite its low frequency.
King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) is served by airlines from Europe, Asia, Africa, and across the Middle East. Travelers can therefore reach Jeddah through a much broader range of connecting itineraries than would be available through Yemen’s domestic network alone.
The service should be especially useful for international tourists, Yemeni residents in Saudi Arabia, passengers visiting relatives, government traffic, and travelers continuing between Socotra and mainland Yemen.
Jeddah Airport (JED) is also a major base for Saudia and flyadeal, although Yemenia does not have a comprehensive codeshare arrangement that would place all connecting flights onto a single ticket. Passengers using separate reservations may need to collect baggage, meet Saudi entry or transit requirements, and allow substantial connection time.
Socotra’s Tourism Market Depends on Limited Air Access
The Socotra Archipelago is one of the world’s most unusual natural destinations, but its isolation has also limited tourism development.
Located in the northwestern Indian Ocean near the Gulf of Aden, the archipelago contains four islands and two rocky islets. UNESCO designated Socotra as a World Heritage Site because of its exceptionally high biodiversity and number of endemic species.
According to UNESCO, 37% of Socotra’s plant species, 90% of its reptile species, and 95% of its land-snail species are found nowhere else.
That environmental importance has created a specialized tourism market centered on guided expeditions, camping, hiking, beaches, and distinctive species such as the dragon blood tree.
However, the island’s tourism industry remains heavily dependent on a small number of flights. A cancellation or schedule suspension can leave visitors with few immediate alternatives, as demonstrated by the need for Yemenia’s special Jeddah flight in January 2026.
Twice-weekly service gives tour operators a more practical schedule for arranging seven- or 10-day itineraries while also providing additional options for residents traveling between Socotra and the mainland.
Aden–Jeddah Flights Will Also Increase
Yemenia will separately increase service between Aden International Airport (ADE) and King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) from September 29.
The airline’s overall Aden–Jeddah schedule will rise from eight to 10 weekly flights, representing a 25% frequency increase.
Ten weekly departures will allow Yemenia to operate more than one flight on selected days rather than relying on a simple daily schedule. The additional capacity reflects the importance of Saudi Arabia to Yemenia’s international network and the substantial passenger demand between the two countries.
The Aden flights are separate from the Jeddah–Socotra–Mukalla triangle operation. Passengers should not assume that the new Socotra service connects through Aden Airport (ADE), although Yemenia continues to operate domestic flights linking Socotra with other points in Yemen.
Bottom Line
Yemenia will schedule two weekly Airbus A320 flights from King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) to Socotra Airport (SCT) beginning September 29, 2026.
Flights will leave Jeddah every Tuesday and Thursday at 11:00 a.m. and arrive in Socotra at 2:00 p.m. The return service will depart one hour later, stop at Riyan International Airport (RIY) in Mukalla, and reach Jeddah Airport (JED) at 7:00 p.m.
The RIY code refers to Riyan Airport in Yemen, not Riyadh, which uses the airport code RUH.
Although the September filing is described as an addition, Yemenia operated Jeddah–Socotra flights earlier in 2026. The new schedule is therefore more accurately viewed as a formal continuation or expansion of that service.
For Socotra, the route provides an important international gateway through one of Saudi Arabia’s largest airports. For Yemenia, it combines international tourism demand with domestic connectivity between Socotra and Mukalla while strengthening its wider Saudi Arabian schedule.
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