Damascus Airport has reopened for international flights, resuming operations that were suspended on December 8 last year following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
According to AFP, the first flight departed from Damascus on January 7, operated by Syrian Airlines, heading to Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. The aircraft bore the three-star flag, a symbol long associated with opposition to Assad, which has now been adopted by the country’s new leadership.
On the same morning, a Qatar Airways flight from Qatar landed at Damascus International Airport. This marked the first commercial flight by the Qatari carrier to the Syrian capital in 13 years. Several passengers on board carried flags associated with the anti-Assad opposition. Qatar Airways has announced plans to operate three weekly flights to Syria moving forward.
Meanwhile, Jordan’s national news agency Petra reported that Royal Jordanian Airlines conducted a test flight to Damascus on January 7. The flight aimed to assess the airport’s technical conditions, as confirmed by Jordan’s Civil Aviation Authority.
While the airport had previously received planes carrying international aid and diplomatic delegations, January 7 marked the official resumption of commercial international flights.
The reopening of Damascus International Airport is seen as a symbolic milestone in Syria’s post-Assad era, reflecting efforts to reintegrate the nation into regional and global networks. It remains to be seen how other international airlines will respond to this development as Syria embarks on its path to recovery and reconstruction.
