An Airbus A330, of which Turkish Airlines is the largest operator, at now defunct Istanbul Ataturk Airport, with multiple other Turkish Airlines aircraft in the background. (Turkish Airlines Photo)
By Newsroom
Dec 20, 2024 11:59 AM
Turkish Airlines (THY) is preparing to resume flights to Damascus and Aleppo International Airports after a 13-year pause.
The airline, which halted its Syria operations in 2011, has opened ticket sales for these destinations on its website and app, though the exact start date for flights has yet to be announced.
Speaking to the Turkish media outlet Hurriyet at the launch of THY’s Santiago route, CEO Bilal Eksi confirmed that meticulous preparations are being conducted to ensure safe and efficient operations to Syria.
A team from Türkiye’s State Airports Authority (DHMI) recently visited the airports in Damascus and Aleppo for inspections, highlighting the need for detailed evaluations due to the prolonged suspension of flights.
Eksi noted the strategic importance of these routes, stating, “Damascus and Aleppo are highly productive destinations, and their reopening will enhance connectivity to other major routes.”
Ground personnel walk on the tarmac as a Syrian Air aircraft taxis ahead of take off to the city of Aleppo, on December 18, 2024, at Damascus international airport. (AFP Photo) A man lifts an independence-era Syrian flag as passengers disembark from a Syrian Air aircraft arriving from Damascus, at the airport of the northern city of Aleppo on December 18, 2024. – The first flight since the ouster of Syria’s president Bashar al-Assad took off on December 18, from Damascus airport to Aleppo, AFP journalists saw, with thirty-two people including journalists on board. Assad fled Syria as a lightning Islamist-led rebel offensive wrested from his control city after city. His army and security forces abandoned Damascus airport on December 8. (Photo by Muhammad HAJ KADOUR / AFP)Ground personnel prepare a Syrian Air aircraft before a flight to the city of Aleppo on December 18, 2024, at Damascus international airport. – The first flight since the ouster of Syria’s president Bashar al-Assad took off on December 18, from Damascus airport to Aleppo in the country’s north, AFP journalists saw. Thirty-two people including journalists were on board the plane. Assad fled Syria as a lightning rebel offensive wrested from his control city after city. His army and security forces abandoned Damascus airport on December 8. (Photo by LOUAI BESHARA / AFP)Members of the ground personnel pose for a commemorative picture as they prepare for the arrival of a Syrian Air aircraft from Damascus, at the airport of the northern city of Aleppo on December 18, 2024. – The first flight since the ouster of Syria’s president Bashar al-Assad took off on December 18, from Damascus airport to Aleppo, AFP journalists saw, with thirty-two people including journalists on board. Assad fled Syria as a lightning Islamist-led rebel offensive wrested from his control city after city. His army and security forces abandoned Damascus airport on December 8. (Photo by Muhammad HAJ KADOUR / AFP)
Rebuilding connections between Türkiye and Syria
The resumption of flights coincides with Türkiye’s broader efforts to strengthen ties with Syria, particularly after the recent political changes in the region.
The move is also expected to support post-conflict reconstruction efforts and provide Turkish businesses with opportunities to contribute to Syria‘s rebuilding process.
Industry experts anticipate daily flights between Türkiye and Syria once the routes are fully operational. Eksi also emphasized that the resumed services would make travel to neighboring countries, such as Jordan, more convenient.