Emirates is returning to the Syrian capital of Damascus after an absence of 13 years.
The airline announced Monday that it will launch service connecting Dubai and Damascus on July 16. The flights will run three times a week to start, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Sundays, before expanding on Aug. 2 to four times a week with an additional flight on Saturdays. Daily service between Dubai and Damascus will start Oct. 26.
Emirates said the connection will benefit the United Arab Emirates’ population of 350,000 Syrian nationals and strengthen trade ties between the country, worth approximately $680 million in 2024.
“Emirates is pleased to restart operations to Damascus and support Syria’s road ahead by providing better choice and connectivity, essential economic links for inward investment as well as opening new trade lanes and global market access for the country,” said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and CEO of Emirates and its parent company, the Emirates Group.
He added: “Re-establishing air travel and connectivity is also good news for our customers that make up the expansive Syrian diaspora across the Americas, Europe, and the [Gulf Cooperation Council], who are eager to fly back home and reconnect to their roots, and leverage their knowledge, skills, expertise, and resources in ongoing development efforts.”
Emirates pulled out of Damascus in 2012 as armed rebels clashed with then-President Bashar al-Assad. Flights into and out of Syria were greatly limited as the country’s civil war dragged on, with the fighting sometimes nearing Damascus International Airport, though Syrian Air, the state-owned flag carrier, continued to operate. The airport was also hit by Israeli airstrikes during the war, forcing it to temporarily shut down.
Assad’s government collapsed in December, ceding power to a transitional government backed by the rebels. Since then, some international carriers have returned to Damascus, including Qatar Airways.
Emirates said it will fly the Dubai-Damascus route using a 302-seat Boeing 777-200LR.
