Damascus Airport to resume flights next Wednesday amid opening of Syrian airspace

Sources from Damascus told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the airport had not suffered any damage or destruction to the runway, tower or halls. In fact, it was operating well until Sunday morning. However, the change of power after Assad fled and the opposition took control of the government in Syria stopped the airport’s operations. In addition, the Israeli occupation’s bombing of the capital, its countryside, southern Syria and coastal cities since last Sunday may be an additional reason for stopping the airport’s operations and closing Syrian airspace to aircraft.

Media sources quoted today the Director of Aircraft Maintenance at the airport, Samer Radi, as saying that Syrian Airlines has a fleet of 12 aircraft, including eight Airbus A320-20s.

Damascus International Airport, which is located about 25 km east of the capital, was established at the end of 1969 after Mezzeh Airport, which was specialized in military aviation and was subjected to several raids by Israel this week.

Damascus International Airport, which was not subjected to any bombing or destruction during the opposition’s control of Damascus, remains the main headquarters and operations center for Syrian Airlines and Cham Wings Private.

Damascus International Airport and its surroundings have been subjected to Israeli aircraft and missile strikes several times over the past two years. It was out of service for 12 days in June 2022 before returning on the 22nd of the same month, and was out of service for hours due to another Israeli strike in early January 2023. It was also out of service along with Aleppo Airport, which were both subjected to Israeli strikes on October 12, 2023 before returning seven days later in the same month.

Damascus Airport was also put out of service in November of last year due to Israeli bombing, and returned to work on the 26th of the same month, but the Israeli occupation aircraft bombed it again on the same day, putting it out of service until December 27 of last year.

The areas surrounding Damascus International Airport were subjected to Israeli bombardment several times this year, without the airport being put out of service. Rather, this year witnessed the return of flights between Damascus and Arab and European countries, which had been suspended for ten years.

Last August, Syrian Airlines (government) announced the resumption of its flights between Damascus and Jeddah airports in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, after an eight-year hiatus.

The private Cham Wings airline, owned by businessmen close to the ousted regime, also announced the start of new flights linking Damascus International Airport with Istanbul and Cairo airports, with a stopover at Kuwait Airport.

Source: Al-Araby Al-Jadeed