The airlines of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman and Bahrain are preparing to resume direct air traffic to the Syrian capital of Damascus, the director general of Syrian Air, Shafa Al-Nouri, announced yesterday.
“A delegation from Oman Air visited Damascus International Airport on Thursday and inspected its technical condition as a preparation for the resumption of flights to the Syrian capital,” Al-Nouri was quoted by the Syrian News Arab Agency (SANA) as saying.
Bahrain’s Gulf Air and the UAE’s Etihad Airways, he added, had requested a similar inspection visit from the Syrian government.
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The Syrian official pointed out that the visits came in preparation for “the resumption of the air carriers’ flights to Damascus.”
State-owned Syrian Air and Syria’s private Cham Wings company currently operate direct flights from Damascus to the UAE.
Late December, the UAE announced the reopening of its embassy in Damascus after a six-year shutdown. Days later, Bahrain and Kuwait said they would reopen their embassies in Syria “soon.”