Damascus, Syria – In a significant milestone, Syria welcomed its first European airline flight in over 14 years on Sunday, as a plane from Romania’s Dan Air landed at Damascus International Airport.
The flight from Bucharest, marks the resumption of European commercial flights to Syria since the outbreak of the Syrian conflict in 2011, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).
Onboard the arriving flight was Syria’s transitional Economy Minister Mohammad Nidal al-Shaar, alongside a Romanian delegation including Radu-Nicolae Ghimbutan, Chargé d’Affaires at the Romanian Embassy in Damascus, and Consul Cristian Iutu. The Syrian Civil Aviation Authority’s delegation, led by Amr Daadou’, was also present to welcome the flight.
Mohammad al-Razz, Dan Air’s commercial representative in Syria, told SANA that the flight carried 138 passengers, both Syrian and foreign nationals. He added that a return flight to Bucharest was scheduled with 125 passengers.
“Dan Air has now connected Damascus with several European cities, which will help shorten travel distances and foster cultural, trade, and tourism ties,” al-Razz said.
Read also: Syrian Airlines Resumes Flights to Istanbul After 14-Year Pause
Dan Air announced earlier this month that it would resume flights to Syria from cities including Bucharest, Berlin, Frankfurt, and other European hubs. The move follows recent bilateral agreements between Romania and Syria, as well as regulatory approvals from Romania’s Ministry of Transport and Syria’s transitional government.
This development comes amid a gradual reopening of Syrian airspace. Just last week, Syrian airline Fly Sham launched its first direct flight from Damascus to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Earlier this month, Syrian Airlines also resumed flights from Damascus to Istanbul after a 12-year suspension.
During the years of conflict, most international airlines ceased operations to Syria, and flights were largely suspended following the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad in December. Recently, however, several regional carriers have reestablished routes to Syria, including Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Royal Jordanian, and Syrian national airlines.
