A view of flag carrier Turkish Airlines land as it resumes service to Syria on Friday with an Istanbul-Damascus flight after halting operations in 2012, due to the country’s civil war, which lasted over a dozen years in Damascus, Syria [Getty]
After international flights resumed at Damascus International Airport earlier this month for the first time since the ousting of Bashar al-Assad, commercial trips have started again following the halting of operations last month due to the former regime’s overthrow.
State news agency SANA previously confirmed the resumption of international flights, quoting Ashhad al-Salibi, head of the General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport, who stated that the country’s main airport in Damascus was ready to restart operations.
Before the outbreak of Syria’s civil war in 2012, Damascus was served by over a dozen major airlines.
Although international flights were halted for security reasons after pro-Assad forces abandoned the airport on 8 December, domestic operations resumed on 18 December with a flight from Damascus to Aleppo.
This marked the first domestic journey since opposition forces took control of the capital following a rapid offensive that began on 27 November.
With the former insurgent group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) now heading Syria’s de facto administration, Arab and Western nations are re-establishing diplomatic ties with the new authorities.
International aid planes and diplomatic delegations have also begun landing in Syria, signifying the country’s reintegration into global air travel networks.
Syria’s renewed connectivity is indicative of broader geopolitical and economic shifts as the country rebuilds its infrastructure and strengthens international relations.
Which airlines have restarted flights?
Commercial flights between Turkey and Syria resumed on Thursday after a 13-year hiatus.
A Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul to Damascus carried 345 passengers, including Turkish Airlines CEO Bilal Eksi and Turkish officials.
“The first Turkish Airlines passenger plane landed at Damascus International Airport after a hiatus of some 13 years, with Syrian passengers on board,” SANA reported.
Eksi remarked, “I hope that the flights we have restarted will contribute to the relations between our countries.”
Turkish Airlines plans to operate three flights per week to Damascus.
Qatar Airways was the first international airline to announce the resumption of flights to Damascus, commencing operations on 7 January.
Qatar, which had suspended flights 13 years earlier due to its opposition to Assad’s regime, has now re-established this route.
A Syrian Airlines flight to Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates on the same day became the first international commercial flight from Damascus since Assad’s overthrow on 8 December.
Earlier this month, a Royal Jordanian Airlines test flight landed in Damascus, marking the first international commercial arrival post-Assad.
The airline will officially resume regular flights on 31 January, operating four times weekly and connecting Damascus to over 45 destinations across Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, and the Gulf.
By April 2025, Royal Jordanian plans to increase the frequency of daily flights.
Additionally, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi is monitoring developments in Syria closely. The ultra-low-cost carrier told Emirati news outlet The National that it is evaluating the potential demand for flights into the country.