Yemen's Aden Aviation Authority bans Iranian Mahan Air flight, mandates permits

On 18 July 2026 Yemen’s temporary capital Aden, through the General Authority of Civil Aviation and Meteorology, issued a circular requiring every airline, international organization and air‑operator to obtain a prior permit before entering Yemeni airspace, declaring itself the sole legitimate civil‑aviation authority. The directive took effect immediately.

A few hours later Transport Minister (named Mohsen Haidera or Muhsin el‑Omari in different statements) announced that an Iranian Mahan Air Airbus A340‑313 (registration EP‑MMC), which had departed Tehran for Sana’—the airport controlled by Houthi forces—was denied entry because it lacked the required clearance. The aircraft was forced to turn back to Oman’s airspace and land there. The incident follows earlier denials of Iranian flights to Sana and heightened rhetoric between the internationally recognised Yemeni government and the Houthi‑controlled authorities, described as an “Iranian‑plane crisis”. The new permit regime aims to regulate the limited humanitarian and commercial flights that are vital for passengers, aid deliveries and trade amid the protracted conflict.