SHOTLIST:

MUKALLA, YEMEN (JAN. 18, 2026) (ANADOLU – ACCESS ALL)

1. SECURITY FORCES AT AIRPORT ENTRANCE (TWO SHOTS)

2. AL RAYYAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TERMINAL ENTRANCE

3. VARIOUS OF PASSENGERS BOARDING PLANES

4. VARIOUS OF PASSANGERS PICKING UP THEIR LUGGAGES

5. HADHRAMAUT GOVERNOR, SALIM AL-HANBASHI, SPEAKING TO REPORTERS (Arabic)

6. VARIOUS OF PASSANGERS INSIDE AIRPORT

7. YEMENIA AIRLINES PLANE

8. AIRPORT DIRECTOR, ANIS BASWAITIN, SPEAKING TO REPORTER (Arabic)

9. VARIOUS OF PLANE TAKING OFF MUKALLA, YEMEN - JAN. 18: Flights resumed at Al Rayyan International Airport in Yemen's eastern Hadhramaut province on Sunday, Jan. 18, ending nearly a decade of intermittent closures.

State-run media reported that the first aircraft landed in Mukalla, the provincial capital, marking a significant step in efforts to reconnect the country's provinces.

Officials described the reopening as part of a broader government strategy to rehabilitate transport infrastructure and facilitate passenger movement, a move expected to boost commercial and humanitarian activity in the region.

The airport had operated only sporadically since 2015 due to the ongoing conflict.

Earlier this month, Hadhramaut Governor Salim al-Hanbashi noted that the facility had faced significant operational challenges, including the looting of essential equipment.

The resumption follows a series of recent airport reactivations in government-controlled areas, including Al-Ghaydah International Airport in Al-Mahrah on Jan. 11 and Seiyun International Airport on Jan. 13.