Syria's Damascus airport to resume international flights from January 7
The move follows over a decade-long suspension of air traffic, which began in 2012 when airlines ceased flights to the capital amid the regime’s violent crackdown on the 2011 protests that sparked the civil war.
Both regional and international airlines that efforts are underway to fully rehabilitate the airports in both Damascus and Aleppo – Syria’s two largest cities – with the assistance of international partners. / Photo: Reuters Archive
Damascus International Airport is set to resume international flights on Tuesday, according to the head of the Syrian Civil Aviation and Air Transport Authority.
In a statement to the official Syrian news agency SANA on Saturday, Ashad Al-Suleibi assured both regional and international airlines that efforts are underway to fully rehabilitate the airports in both Damascus and Aleppo – Syria’s two largest cities – with the assistance of international partners.
"We are pleased to announce the resumption of international flights to and from Damascus International Airport starting January 7," he said.
The move comes after more than a decade of suspended air traffic. In 2012, most airlines halted flights to and from the capital Damascus due to the regime’s violent crackdown on protests that erupted in 2011, marking the beginning of the ongoing civil war.
Qatar Airways became the first international airline to announce the return of flights, scheduling three weekly services to Damascus starting on Tuesday.
Bashar al Assad, fled to Russia after armed anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party's decades-long regime.
A new administration led by Ahmed al Sharaa has now taken charge.
Copyright © 2025 TRT World.