International flights resumed on Tuesday at Damascus Airport, marking the first time since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime last month.
A Syrian Airlines plane carrying 145 passengers departed from the capital for Sharjah Airport in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Syrian media reported.
“We assure Arab and international airlines that we are in the process of fully rehabilitating the airports in Aleppo and Damascus, with the help of our partners, to ensure they are ready to receive flights from all over the world,” said Ashhad al-Salibi, head of the Syrian Civil Aviation Authority.
In 2012, most airlines suspended flights to and from Damascus Airport following the brutal suppression of pro-democracy protests by Assad’s regime.
Last week, Qatar Airways became the first international airline to announce it would resume flights to the Syrian capital starting January 7th.
Assad, who had been Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on December 8th, bringing an end to the Ba‘ath Party’s rule, which had lasted since 1963.
The new administration, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, has now taken over control.
