Syria announced on Saturday that international flights to and from Damascus International Airport will resume on Tuesday, marking the first such commercial operations since the ouster of former President Bashar al-Assad last month.
Ashhad al-Salibi, head of the General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport, confirmed the decision, stating, “We announce we will start receiving international flights to and from Damascus International Airport starting Tuesday.”
Al-Salibi also reassured international carriers, noting efforts to rehabilitate airports in Damascus and Aleppo with assistance from international partners. “We are working to ensure our airports are ready to welcome flights from around the world,” he added.
Qatar Airways announced plans to resume flights to Damascus after nearly 13 years, beginning with three weekly flights starting Tuesday. A Qatari official told AFP last month that Doha had extended assistance to the new Syrian authorities to facilitate the resumption of operations at Damascus airport.
In addition to international aid planes and diplomatic delegations landing in Syria, domestic flights between Damascus and Aleppo resumed on December 18. This marked the first flight operations following opposition forces’ removal of al-Assad on December 8.
