Sana'a In't Airport review by M Baughman

14 November 2007   Customer Rating :

Better than I had expected, but you won't forget that Yemen is a developing country. Small terminal but ample staff at Customs and Immigration. Both were friendly and professional and lines not out of control in either direction. The airport check-in staff seem to work for all airlines as there are not that many flights per day. They were also very friendly even though passengers could be a bit of a handful (common in this part of world). Porters fairly aggressive, but will lay off without hard feelings if you say "no." Don't wait for airport to buy souvenirs, everything is very expensive and there's not much there anyway. The business lounge is clean and spacious and has a few drinks but not much else I would trust to eat or drink. Main seating area not very comfortable.

Sana'a In't Airport review by João Aleluia

16 December 2004   Customer Rating : n/a

Sanaa International was the worst airport I had the pleasure to be. Chaotic exit and entrance (airport employees trying to take our luggage and immediately asking in a rude way for outrageous tips) ,almost no information in English, unimaginable toilets, no information concerning flight departures (gate, airline, boarding time). We had to be attentive to the call of an airport employee for boarding... in Arabic, of course! And, not forgetting the beauracratic procedures, even if they are not as bad as in other countries. In the whole, a great lack of organization. In compensation, yes, people are friendly as everywhere in Yemen.

Sana'a In't Airport review by Maikli Dar al-Bayda

21 October 2004

Not too bad at all actually. I'd heard before arriving that it was chaotic, but I found the opposite. Having flown here twice (June/September 2000 and December 2001), I can say that the immigration and customs staff were all very friendly both times, all very interested in what I thought of Yemen and why I was here. I imagine it is somewhat different if your documents are not in order though. The check-in lounge is a bit weird. Friends and relatives can't officially enter the building with you, as you have to go through a baggage search before checking in. However, my friends managed to bribe the officials with money and qat, and came inside to say goodbye. Once you get past the initial chaos at the front door, everything is quick and easy...or at least it is if you're foreign. Being white means you check in first, which is an abominable system. After check-in, you run the gauntlet of immigration. The officers are polite and friendly, particularly if you speak Arabic (or try), and within minutes I found myself in the departure lounge, which to be honest was quite attractive, with ornamental Yemeni stained glass windows decorating the walls. A souvenir shop sold overpriced gifts, but had an amazing collection of Yemen picture books. There was a cafe serving proper coffee (if you're a coffee addict and you've just spent months drinking the Yemeni version of coffee, you'll know what I mean!), and it was all calm and organised - until the flight was called, and pandemonium broke loose. Queueing is not a Yemeni national sport, and boarding cards were checked on a basis of who shouts the loudest and who pushes the hardest. Bonus points are given to those who sneak round the side, leaping acrobatically over the barrier, it seems. Sana'a International Airport is very Yemeni. That is meant as a compliment. Everyone is very friendly and helpful, and there are quirky features like the "no qat chewing" signs and airport staff having lengthy chats over the intercom system.

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