Syria says international flights to and from Damascus to resume from Jan 7

Syria said on Saturday the country’s main airport in Damascus would resume international flights beginning next week after such commercial trips were halted following last month’s ouster of ex-president Bashar al-Assad.

“We announce we will start receiving international flights to and from Damascus International Airport from January 7,” state news agency SANA said, quoting Ashhad al-Salibi, who heads the General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport.

“We reassure Arab and international airlines that we have begun the phase of rehabilitating the Aleppo and Damascus airports with our partners’ help so that they can welcome flights from all over the world,” he said.

International aid planes and foreign diplomatic delegations have already been landing in Syria. Domestic flights have also resumed.

On Thursday, Qatar Airways announced it would resume flights to the Syrian capital after nearly 13 years, beginning with three weekly flights on Tuesday.

A Qatari official told AFP last month that Doha had offered the new Syrian authorities help in resuming operations at Damascus airport.

On December 18, the first flight since rebels ousted Assad on December 8, departed from Damascus airport to Aleppo in the country’s north, AFP journalists saw.