Syria's Damascus airport to resume international flights from January 7

Doha-based Qatar Airways announced flights will start on Tuesday

Flights at Damascus International Airport were suspended after the overthrow of Bashar Al Assad on December 8. Reuters

Damascus International Airport will resume international flights from January 7, Syria's Civil Aviation Authority chief said on Saturday.

Flights were suspended at the airport following the collapse of the government of Bashar Al Assad on December 8.

“We announce we will start receiving international flights to and from Damascus International Airport from Tuesday,” Ashhad Al Saliby told official news agency Sana.

“We reassure Arab and international airlines that we are in the process of fully rehabilitating Aleppo and Damascus airports with the help of our partners so that they will be able to receive flights from all over the world,” Mr Al Saliby added.

On December 18, a test flight that took off from the Syrian capital Damascus landed in the northern city of Aleppo, marking the first journey by air in the country since the fall of the former regime. International aid planes and foreign diplomatic delegations have already been landing in Syria.

An Egyptian aid plane touched down at Damascus airport on Saturday carrying Cairo's first humanitarian delivery to the country since Mr Al Assad left. The civilian cargo plane loaded with 15 tonnes of supplies was part of "Egypt's commitment to supporting the brotherly Syrian people", according to a statement from the foreign ministry.

Qatar Airways announced on Thursday that it will resume flights to the Syrian capital after nearly 13 years, starting with three weekly flights beginning on Tuesday.

The Doha-based national carrier “is pleased to announce the resumption of three weekly flights to Damascus, Syria, from 7 January 2025”, it said in a statement.

It hailed a “significant step in reconnecting the region”, almost a month after Islamist-led rebels toppled Syria's longtime ruler, capping more than a decade of civil war.

“Qatar Airways is working closely with relevant authorities to ensure that all necessary safety, security and operational standards are met ahead of the relaunch,” the airline said.

Qatar was the second country, after Turkey, to reopen its embassy in the Syrian capital following the overthrow of the Assad regime.

Doha was one of the main backers of the armed rebellion that erupted after Mr Al Assad's government crushed a peaceful uprising in 2011. Unlike several of its neighbours, Qatar remained a stern critic of Mr Al Assad and did not renew ties with Syria despite its return to the Arab diplomatic fold last year.