Flights Return to Aleppo
SunExpress, a carrier owned jointly by Turkish Airlines and Germany's Lufthansa, said on 9 July 2026 that it will expand its network to Syria. An Antalya-Aleppo route is set to launch on 1 August 2026 and an Izmir-Aleppo route on 2 August 2026.
The two routes are the carrier's entry point into Syria, distinct from the other regional destinations it is restoring elsewhere in the Middle East.
Weekly Schedule
The Antalya-Aleppo service is planned for Wednesdays and Saturdays, while the Izmir-Aleppo service is planned for Fridays and Sundays. Together the two routes give travelers from western and southern Turkey direct scheduled links to Aleppo.
Each route is set to run twice a week, giving four scheduled arrivals into Aleppo across the week once both lines are operating in August.
Wider Regional Restart
The additions follow a temporary suspension of some routes amid developments in the region. The carrier said it had already resumed Middle East service with twice-weekly flights between Izmir and Dubai from 7 July 2026.
The sequence, beginning in early July and running into August, places the Aleppo launch within a phased return of the carrier's regional network rather than a one-off addition.
More Routes Through Mid-July
Further connections to Dubai, Beirut and Erbil are planned for 15 July 2026, including Antalya-Dubai, Izmir-Beirut and Antalya-Erbil services. An Antalya-Beirut route is due to resume on 16 July 2026 and a Trabzon-Bahrain route on 17 July 2026.
Reconnecting a Key City
Restoring scheduled international flights to Aleppo, Syria's second-largest city and a longtime commercial and industrial center, adds air capacity for passengers and time-sensitive trade.
Regular connections shape how quickly people and goods can move between the city and regional hubs, and the August start dates set a fixed timeline for that link to reopen.