Saudi aviation delegation in Syria ahead of resumption of flights

An aerial view of the Damascus International Airport as the maintenance and repair works begin on the Syrian Airlines planes following the collapse of regime control in Damascus, Syria on December 11, 2024 [Abdulkarem Al Mohammad/Anadolu via Getty Images]

A delegation from Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation arrived in Damascus today to conduct a routine inspection before the resumption of flights to Syria.

Ala’a Sallal of the Syrian Civil Aviation Authority confirmed the Saudi team’s arrival at Damascus International Airport.

Sallal said the visit involves a “routine tour as an internationally recognised procedure” to prepare for reactivating Saudi airline routes to the Syrian capital, the state news agency SANA reported.

Most airlines halted flights to and from Damascus in 2012 amid the Syrian regime’s crackdown on pro-reform protests that erupted in 2011.

Several airlines resumed operations at Damascus International Airport on 7 January after the Syrian aviation authority announced it would begin handling international flights again, a move signaling the gradual reopening of Syria’s airspace.

Bashar Al-Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on 8 December, ending the Baath Party’s rule over the country, which began in 1963.

Ahmad Al-Sharaa, who led anti-regime forces to oust Al-Assad, was declared president for a transitional period on 29 January.

READ: UN forces inspect sites targeted by Israeli strikes in Syria

Unless otherwise stated in the article above, this work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. If the image(s) bear our credit, this license also applies to them. What does that mean? For other permissions, please contact us.