First Syrian passenger flight to UAE departs from Damascus

The first Syrian passenger plane departed Damascus Airport for the UAE on Sunday, following the decision to resume flights between the two countries.

The UAE announced last Monday its decision to resume air travel with Syria, stating at the time that joint coordination was underway to complete the necessary procedures for the resumption of flights.

The decision followed an official visit by Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa to Abu Dhabi last Sunday.

Meanwhile, Syrian Airlines announced on Thursday the resumption of direct flights between Syria and the UAE, starting on Sunday, to both Dubai and Sharjah as part of an initial trial phase.

The resumption follows a temporary reactivation of flights earlier this year. On 7 January, the first commercial plane took off from Damascus International Airport to Sharjah, marking the symbolic return of Syrian civil aviation links following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. However, those flights were later suspended.

At the meeting in Abu Dhabi, Sheikh bin Zayed Al Nahyan "affirmed the UAE's keenness to support Syria to confront the challenges of the transitional phase and rebuild Syria", the official WAM news agency reported.

In a statement, Syrian Airlines said that four weekly flights will currently operate between Damascus and Dubai, on Saturdays, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, with plans to increase the number to seven flights per week soon.

It added that flights to Sharjah will operate on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Fridays, with efforts underway to raise the frequency to daily flights.

As for flights between Damascus and Abu Dhabi, they will operate on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Most airlines suspended their flights to and from Damascus in 2012, against the backdrop of the fallen regime of Bashar al-Assad's brutal crackdown on popular protests demanding change, which erupted in 2011.

Since the beginning of this year, several airlines have resumed flights to and from Damascus Airport, following an announcement by the Syrian Civil Aviation and Air Transport Authority that the airport was ready to receive international flights.