New European Link
Syria's civil aviation authority is preparing to launch direct flights between Damascus and Amsterdam in the first week of July 2026, restoring a commercial air link between the Syrian capital and the Netherlands. The route forms part of a broader push to reconnect the country to international and regional air networks after years of sharply reduced service.
Omar al-Hasri, who heads the civil aviation authority, described the new connection as "an important milestone" achieved through "continuous technical, legal and diplomatic efforts."
Aleppo Returns to the Map
The northern city of Aleppo is set to regain two international routes. Direct flights between Aleppo and Bucharest are scheduled to begin on 1 July 2026, while a link between Aleppo and Sharjah is expected to start on 4 July 2026.
The schedules mark a return of regular commercial traffic to Aleppo International Airport, which served only a handful of destinations for much of the past decade.
Rebuilding Connectivity
The Syrian General Authority for Civil Aviation and Air Transport has been working to expand the number of carriers and destinations serving the country. The fresh routes add European and Gulf links to a network that had been heavily curtailed by conflict and restrictions.
The national carrier, Syrian Airlines, is among the operators named in the expansion, as additional airlines prepare to enter or re-enter the market.
Why It Matters
Restored air links carry economic weight beyond tourism. Direct routes ease travel for the large Syrian diaspora, lower the cost and time of business trips, and point to a gradual normalization of the country's ties with European and Gulf markets.
The expansion comes as Syrian authorities court foreign investment and trade, treating transport connectivity as a precondition for drawing partners back to the market.