US Sanctions Dormant Yemeni “Airline” Linked to Houthi Network
The United States has imposed sanctions on Sama Airline, a little-known and apparently inactive Yemeni company that claims to be an airline, citing alleged links to the Houthi militia that controls large parts of northwestern Yemen. The designation was announced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control, a division of the US Treasury responsible for enforcing economic and trade sanctions.
According to OFAC, Sama Airline was designated due to concerns that it may be connected to, or used in support of, the Houthi movement, which has been subject to extensive US and international sanctions. The Houthis are designated by Washington as a terrorist organization, and US authorities have increasingly targeted financial, logistical, and commercial entities suspected of enabling their operations.
Sama Airline was incorporated in 2023 and presents itself online as a fully Yemeni-owned carrier operating under the regulations of the Yemeni Civil Aviation and Meteorology Authority. The company’s website claims it is backed by “100% Yemeni capital” and suggests plans to operate an Airbus A320-200 fleet. However, no independent evidence has emerged to support these claims, and the airline does not appear to have conducted any commercial flight operations.
A review of available aviation databases shows no aircraft registered to Sama Airline, no published route network, and no operational history. The company also lacks visibility in regional aviation circles, raising questions about whether it ever progressed beyond a paper entity. US officials have not provided details on any actual aviation activity, instead focusing on the alleged connections between the company and Houthi-linked networks.
The designation effectively freezes any assets Sama Airline may hold under US jurisdiction and prohibits US persons from engaging in transactions with the entity. It also serves as a warning to international partners and financial institutions to exercise caution when dealing with companies that may be linked, directly or indirectly, to sanctioned groups operating in Yemen.
The move highlights the growing scrutiny applied to aviation-related entities in conflict zones, where aircraft, logistics, or aviation branding can be misused for financial or political purposes. While Yemen’s civil aviation sector has been largely crippled by years of conflict, sanctions authorities remain alert to the risk that dormant or nominal airlines could be leveraged to obscure financial flows or facilitate illicit activity.
US officials stressed that the action against Sama Airline is part of a broader effort to disrupt the Houthis’ access to international financial systems and to prevent the misuse of commercial structures in support of sanctioned organizations.
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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ch-aviation.com