LONDON: The Syrian Arab Republic’s national carrier is reopening flight routes to Europe, Russia and Saudi Arabia within weeks of one another, part of a broader effort to rebuild an aviation sector battered by years of war.
Syrian Airlines is adding new and resumed service to Amsterdam, Moscow and Madinah, Syria’s state news agency SANA reported.
The airline returned to Europe on July 2 with direct flights between Damascus and Amsterdam, its first European destination after years of suspended operations.
Two more routes follow this month. Damascus-Madinah flights resume Aug. 11, with one flight weekly on Tuesdays, and scheduled direct flights between Damascus and Moscow begin Aug. 16, strengthening air links with Russia.
Anwar Aqqad, CEO of the Syrian Aviation Holding Company, called the Amsterdam service a “milestone in restoring the carrier’s presence in Europe.”
He said it followed a year of technical, legal and diplomatic work, and is part of a broader push to widen the airline’s overseas network.
Traffic through Syrian skies is also rising. Aviation authorities said 20,315 aircraft transited the country’s airspace in July.
The recovery follows about 14 years of civil war and the collapse of the Assad regime in late 2024. Sanctions have since been eased, and the country’s new leadership has drawn support from international partners.
Officials have moved quickly to capitalize. In July 2025, the Civil Aviation Authority announced a 2030 plan to rehabilitate aviation infrastructure, including modernizing airports, converting some military airfields to civil use and building a new Damascus airport able to handle 31 million passengers annually.
A month later, Syria signed a $250 million financing package for up to 10 Airbus A320s as part of a wider $4 billion airport deal.
