Close
newsletters Newsletters
X Instagram Youtube

Resuming air ties: AnadoluJet launches first flight from Istanbul to Damascus after Assad's fall

The first flight from Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport to Damascus, July 2, 2025 (Photo via AA)
Photo
BigPhoto
The first flight from Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport to Damascus, July 2, 2025 (Photo via AA)
By Newsroom
July 02, 2025 01:48 PM GMT+03:00

Turkish airline AnadoluJet operated its first direct flight from Sabiha Gokcen International Airport in Istanbul to the Syrian capital, Damascus, on Tuesday.

Although the company initially planned to begin flights from Istanbul to Damascus on April 21, 2025, the launch was delayed after Syrian authorities reportedly halted the route shortly before the first flight was scheduled to take off.

According to Middle East Eye, the suspension was due to Syrian demands for reciprocal traffic rights to Türkiye. Flights from Ankara were still planned to begin on April 22 as part of AnadoluJet’s 2024 summer schedule to expand regional connectivity.

The first flight from Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport to Damascus, July 2, 2025 (Photo via AA)
The first flight from Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport to Damascus, July 2, 2025 (Photo via AA)

A special ceremony was held at the airport ahead of the inaugural flight, attended by Halil Ucar, Administrative Director of Sabiha Gokcen Airport; Kemal Yuksel, Director General of Civil Aviation; Faruk Kacir, Director of the Sabiha Gokcen Airport Authority; and Kerem Sarp, General Manager of AnadoluJet.

Following the ceremony, the aircraft departed for Damascus, officially marking the airline’s first flight to the Syrian capital.

This launch follows a similar move by Syrian Airlines, which resumed flights to Istanbul in June after years due to the Syrian conflict.

The flight from Syria that arrived at Istanbul Airport in June was the first commercial route reestablished by the Syrian flag carrier since service was suspended in 2012.

The Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Abdulkadir Uraloglu, had previously stated that AnadoluJet’s intention to increase the number of flights in the future, in line with passenger demand and operational feasibility, highlighted a positive outlook for the gradual normalization of civil aviation ties between Türkiye and Syria.

July 02, 2025 01:48 PM GMT+03:00
More From Türkiye Today