Updated: How to Get to Socotra Island
Our Yemenia plane parked at Seiyun Airport waiting to take off again for Socotra. A broken Felix Airways plane is on the right.
A version of this article was first published in December 2019. It has since been updated as of August 2022.
THE CAIRO ROUTE: YEMENIA
It’s finally possible to get back to Socotra— Yemen’s ecological paradise in the Indian Ocean. When the war in Yemen started in early 2015 the islands lost their flight links to the mainland, and save for some supply ships, the islands were cut off until Yemenia was given permission from the Coalition (UAE and Saudis who control Yemen’s airspace) to start commercial flights to the island again. While Yemenia used to fly from Cairo to Seiyun to Socotra, they changed the route in 2021, flying via Aden instead.
Yemenia’s weekly flight IY 611 / 420 from Cairo to Aden to Mukalla to Socotra departs from Cairo Sunday evening at 8 pm, arriving in Aden in the early morning, before passengers must proceed through Yemeni immigration an customs and change planes for the domestic flight to Socotra with a passenger pick-up/drop-off stop in Mukalla. It arrives in Socotra on Monday mornings.
The return flight leaves Socotra on Monday at noon, transiting back through Aden where passengers must once again proceed through Yemeni customs and immigration, before continuing onto to Cairo, arriving there on Monday night.
The flight is safe and the plane is in decent shape— we’ve met the pilot, he’s been flying for 20 years.
FLIGHT SCHEDULE
The flight schedule is below. Please note, that while these are the scheduled departure and arrival times, the flight typically arrives 2-3 hours late, as the stop in Aden or Mukalla may take longer than planned.
SUNDAYS*: Cairo to Socotra YEMENIA IY 611/420
20:00 Depart Cairo (CAI) for Aden (ADE)
01:00 +1 Arrive Aden (ADE) clear immigration and customs
08:00 +1 Depart Aden (ADE) for Socotra (SCT) makes a stop in Riyan
11:00 +1 Arrive Socotra (SCT)
*This flight departs on a Sunday and arrives on a Monday.
MONDAYS Socotra to Cairo YEMENIA IY 421/612
12:00 Depart Socotra (SCT) for Aden (ADE) makes a stop in Riyan
15:00 Arrive Aden (ADE) clear immigration and customs
18:00 Depart Aden (ADE) for Cairo (CAI)
20:30 Arrive Cairo (CAI)
It is also possible for foreigners to travel overland to Mukalla, Yemen from Oman and catch the domestic leg of the flight from there to Socotra. If you are interested in visiting Mainland Yemen, see our Inertia Guide to South Yemen for more detailed information.
TICKET PRICES
The earlier you book your tickets the cheaper they tend to be. Prices for the round trip Cairo-Socotra-Cairo start at $950, but can go as high as $1300 for economy class tickets (about $350 more for business class).
If for some reason you want to cancel or don’t receive a Yemeni visa, there is a cancellation fee of $200 per ticket and a no-show fee of $300 (72-hours before flight departure time).
HOW TO BOOK A TICKET
In order to book a ticket, the Yemenia office will need the following:
Ticket payment in full.
A digital scan of your passport— you must use this passport during your trip and be sure there is no evidence of travel to Israel in your passport, this includes border stamps from Egypt or Jordan.
Your Yemeni visa (can reserve a seat without your visa, but in order to get on the manifest you will need to submit a copy of your visa to the airline).
Take note: Yemeni visas are only valid for 30 days, meaning you must enter Yemen within 30 days of the issuance of the visa. As soon as you get your visa sent to you from Socotra, you should send a scan over to Yemenia and wait for their confirmation. Do this at least one week before your schedule departure date.
This is because your ticket may only be issued once you have successfully applied for a Yemeni visa, which your host in Socotra can arrange in about 3-5 business days for $200, and submitted that visa document along with a security clearance letter and introduction letter from the Ministry of the Interior back to Yemenia.
Visas can be sent by WhatsApp or email— as they are issued externally from the passport— it’s just a letter.
Getting a ticket is not exactly straightforward and takes a bit of grunt work and planning, but it’s entirely doable. Note: Inertia members benefit from easy access to ticket reservations through our dedicated agent in Cairo. They do not take credit cards, so you will either need to arrange your flight with a travel provider or get in touch with the office yourself and send them a bank wire transfer.
Note that tourism is still in its recovery phase in Socotra— as such, independent travel is not permitted. This means you will need to organize a private guide/car package or join a tour in order to get your visa. This can be done through a local licensed and registered host company.
Inside the cockpit of Yemenia Flight IY606 from Seiyun to Cairo.
DAY OF THE FLIGHT
You should arrive at Cairo International Airport Terminal 1 no later than 3.5 hours before departure time to check into the flight. There is a lot of security at the airport, and the line to get your boarding pass is normally long and slow moving, as many Yemenis are travelling to the Mainland with a lot of luggage.
In order to check in you will need to present the following documents:
Your valid passport
A copy of your Yemeni visa— you can obtain a visa through a local Socotri travel operator or their overseas agents.
A copy of your Yemenia ticket confirmation and e-ticket number— Yemenia will email this confirmation to you once your tickets have been issued after you send them your visa.
A copy of your Security Clearance— your Socotri travel operator can get this for you 30 days before travel.
A copy of your introduction letter from the Yemeni Ministry of the Interior (needed in order to collect your visa and transit Aden Airport)
Quick note: drones are forbidden in Egypt. I highly suggest not bringing a drone through Cairo. If you must, it’s a good idea to make sure you fly in and out of Terminal 1 (it’s a far distance to the other terminals), as there’s a good chance Egyptian Customs will find your drone and lock it up in the airport (this process takes about 2~4 hours, there is a ton of paperwork, and retrieving it can also take over 2 hours).
THE ABU DHABI ROUTE: EMIRATES AVIATION SERVICES CHARTER
A private airline operator called Emirates Aviation Services operates a once weekly flight from Abu Dhabi, UAE to Socotra from early-September until mid-May. The flight is officially a humanitarian charter operated by a private company, and may use an Air Arabia plane (but this is not a commercial Air Arabia flight). While it mostly takes tourists to the island, the flights status as a humanitarian charter, and thus subject to government intervention based on news events and politics, has caused problems in both 2020 and 2021, stranding several dozen tourists on Socotra for over two weeks. It is relatively reliable otherwise.
It currently flies on Tuesdays between Abu Dhabi and Socotra.
FLIGHT SCHEDULE
The flight schedule is below. Please note, that while these are the scheduled departure and arrival times, the flight typically arrives 2-3 hours late.
TUESDAYS: Abu Dhabi to Socotra Flight 476
11:55 Depart Abu Dhabi (AUH) for Socotra (SCT)
13:10 Arrive Socotra (SCT)
TUESDAYS Socotra to Abu Dhabi Flight 477
14:40 Depart Socotra (SCT) for Abu Dhabi (AUH)
17:55 Arrive Abu Dhabi (AUH)
TICKET PRICES
Prices for the round trip Abu Dhabi-Socotra-Abu Dhabi start at $860 and the money must be wither wired into a UAE bank account or bought through an approved travel agency. As there is heavy demand for this flight, it is recommended to reserve tickets at least 5 months in advance of your travel dates, as it does sell out quickly.
HOW TO BOOK A TICKET
In order to book a ticket you must either contact Emirates Aviation Services Charter by WhatsApp directly, which is a difficult and slow process, or book your flight through an approved travel agency. There is no way to book this flight online or via credit card.
To reserve a ticket, the airline office will need the following:
Ticket payment in full.
A digital scan of your passport— you must use this passport during your trip and be sure there is no evidence of travel to Israel in your passport, this includes border stamps from Egypt or Jordan.
Your Yemeni visa (can reserve a seat without your visa, but in order to get on the manifest you will need to submit a copy of your visa to the airline).
Take note: Yemeni visas are only valid for 30 days, meaning you must enter Yemen within 30 days of the issuance of the visa. As soon as you get your visa sent to you from Socotra, you should send a scan over to Yemenia and wait for their confirmation. Do this at least one week before your schedule departure date.
DAY OF THE FLIGHT
You should arrive at Abu Dhabi International Airport no later than 3.5 hours before departure time to check into the flight.
In order to check in you will need to present the following documents:
Your valid passport
A copy of your Yemeni visa— you can obtain a visa through a local Socotri travel operator or their overseas agents.
A copy of your Yemenia ticket confirmation and e-ticket number— Yemenia will email this confirmation to you once your tickets have been issued after you send them your visa.
A copy of your Security Clearance— your Socotri travel operator can get this for you 30 days before travel.
Quick note: drones are forbidden in the UAE and are not allowed on international flights to Socotra. If you bring a drone, there is a high chance it will be confiscated in Abu Dhabi and put in a customs locker. You can collect it when you return to the UAE.
