Qatar Airways To Resume Syria Flights Aviation Week Network

Qatar Airways will become the first major international airline to resume regular scheduled service to Syria following the ousting of longtime President Bashar al-Assad in December.

The airline will offer flights between Doha’s Hamad International Airport and Damascus International Airport from Jan. 7. The route will initially be served three times per week.

“We are pleased to resume flights to Damascus, a destination of great historical and cultural importance,” Qatar Airways Group CEO Mohammed Al-Meer says. “This announcement underscores our dedication to fostering connectivity and facilitating travel for our passengers.”

Qatar Airways previously served Damascus and Aleppo, but both cities have been absent from its network for 12 years due to Syria’s civil war.

The Oneworld alliance member’s planned return comes after Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed Al-Khulaifi flew into Damascus on Dec. 23 to meet with de facto Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, pledging to invest in Syria's energy sector and ports.

OAG Schedules Analyser data shows that Syria is served by three airlines at the present time: flag carrier SyrianAir flies from Damascus to Abu Shabi, Doha, Dubai and Sharjah; Cham Wings Airlines serves Sharjah from Damascus and Latakia; and Iraqi carrier UR Airlines flies to Damascus from Baghdad and Erbil.