Flights Return in November
A low-cost Egyptian carrier is preparing to launch direct commercial flights between Cairo and Damascus starting in mid-November 2026, restoring an air link between the two capitals that had been dormant for years. The carrier operates as the budget arm of Egypt's national airline.
The move reconnects Damascus with one of the region's busiest aviation hubs and reopens a direct route that travelers, traders, and families had been unable to use without connecting flights.
Routes and Aircraft
The plan calls for about seven weekly flights from Cairo to Damascus, alongside three weekly flights from the Red Sea resort city of Hurghada, with the schedule expected to begin in the second half of November 2026.
Flights are to be operated with Airbus A320neo aircraft configured with 180 seats. The carrier has not yet confirmed whether return legs from Damascus will mirror the full outbound schedule.
A Link Severed Since 2011
Direct flights between Cairo and Damascus were suspended in 2011 as conflict spread across Syria, cutting one of the country's main connections to the Arab world. For years afterward only a national carrier and a private Syrian airline served the route, and travelers often relied on indirect routings through other regional hubs.
Both of those Syrian carriers halted their Damascus operations after the change of government in December 2024, leaving the route without any direct service until the new schedule takes effect.
What the Reopening Signals
The resumption adds scheduled international capacity at Damascus at a time when the country is working to rebuild commercial ties with its neighbors. Regular, affordable connections to Cairo could ease travel for Syrians living abroad, support cross-border trade, and lower the cost of reaching a major regional transit point.
The plan remains at an early stage. The carrier has not detailed the return flights from Damascus, and the published frequencies could still be adjusted before service begins.