Agreement Signed in Damascus
Syria and Germany signed a final air transport agreement at Tishreen Palace in Damascus on 16 July 2026, establishing the legal basis for a return of direct flights between the two countries after years of interruption. The document was signed by the deputy head of Syria's General Authority for Civil Aviation and Air Transport and a minister of state in the German federal foreign ministry.
Officials described the signing as the completion of the legal and regulatory framework needed to move to an operational phase, including the designation of carriers and the processing of flight applications.
Building on Earlier Talks
The agreement follows a joint declaration of intent signed in Berlin on 30 March 2026, which opened formal negotiations and set out to modernize the rules governing air links between the two states.
The head of the civil aviation authority said the accord rebuilds the legal structure that had lapsed during the years of suspended relations, allowing both sides to proceed to practical arrangements.
Carriers Await Approval
The authority said it is currently reviewing requests from three German airlines seeking to operate flights to Syria, while German regulators examine applications to designate Syrian national carriers. The steps are timed to a flight ban that is expected to be lifted on 27 July 2026.
The next stage covers technical and security requirements, traffic rights and frequencies, and operating licenses and approvals. Officials said coordination with German authorities and the airlines would continue in order to begin actual flights as soon as possible.
Wider Cooperation Track
Alongside the aviation accord, the two governments launched the opening session of a joint Syrian-German committee and signed a declaration formally establishing it as a permanent channel for cooperation built on shared interests. Officials said the restored air link is intended to serve the Syrian community abroad and to support travel, tourism, and economic and investment ties between the two countries.