Qatar Airways Returns to Syria

Following significant change in the Syrian political standing, Qatar Airways schedules a return to the country's capital.

A Qatar Airways Boeing 777 (A7-BEG) receives a water cannon salute as it arrives in Seattle. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Katie Zera)
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Key Takeaways:

Following the unraveling of political issues in Syria, Qatar Airways announced a return to the troubled country.

Spearheading the Connectivity

The Qatar Airways resumption flight will take place on January 7, 2025. Following that, the airline will operate three times weekly service with an Airbus A330-200 aircraft.

The carrier claims to be committed to providing connectivity for the local market, connecting Syria through its network to more than 170 destinations globally.

Qatar Airways Damascus schedule after the resumption of the service (Photo: Filip Kopec)

There are still concerns over Syrian political stability, but in the recent past, the Gulf countries were a main gateway for the sizable Syrian diaspora.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, said in a news release: “We are pleased to resume flights to Damascus, a destination of great historical and cultural importance. This announcement underscores our dedication to fostering connectivity and facilitating travel for our passengers.”

Airspace over Syria at the beginning of 2025 (Photo: flightradar24.com)

Syria’s Isolation

Since the start of the Syrian Civil War in 2011, the country was mostly isolated and Damascus International Airport experienced intermittent closures. Big network carriers like Emirates or Egyptair suspended flights to Syria shortly after the first incidents during the war. For some, it meant no services to the country for the past 10 years.

Some select airlines, like Pakistan International Airlines or the country’s flag airline Syrian Air, kept limited or irregular schedules.

Filip Kopeć

A passionate aviation enthusiast that started off his career as an aerospace engineer, but found his true calling on the commercial side of the airline business. Now as a finance guy among avgeeks and an avgeek among finance guys, he has experience working in the Revenue Divisions of three airlines. In his spare time he enjoys traveling, but admittedly sometimes is more about the journey than the destination.
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