Syria resumes domestic flights with first departure from Damascus airport

On December 18, domestic commercial flights have resumed at Syria's Damascus International Airport.

The first civilian flight since the airport's reopening will depart for the city of Aleppo in the northwest of the country, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Preparations are currently underway for the departure of a plane from the national Syrian airline, Syrian Air, with passengers being boarded.

Notably, in an interview with Al-Hadath channel on December 12, Minister of Transport Bahaa al-Din Sharem confirmed that both Damascus and Aleppo international airports were ready to resume operations. Technical teams had been assigned to ensure the smooth arrival and departure of flights, with official dates for reopening expected to be announced shortly. 

Ongoing maintenance work focused on repairing damage, including electrical infrastructure at Damascus Airport. The Ministry of Transport also worked to prepare civilian airports for the return of Syrian nationals and the arrival of international delegations.

Aircraft maintenance official Samer Radi reported that 12 aircraft remained grounded at Damascus Airport. Efforts were also underway to organize land border crossings with neighbouring countries. Sharem stated that all crossings between Syria and Lebanon were anticipated to reopen the following week.

Syria's primary airports had suspended operations after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, which saw opposition forces seize large parts of the country, including the capital, Damascus.

They have declared the end of President Bashar al-Assad's 24-year rule following a swift military advance across Syria. On December 8, opposition forces entered the capital, Damascus, prompting a statement broadcast live on Syrian national television, where they proclaimed the fall of the Assad regime.

The group of fighters, marking a historic moment in the Syrian civil war, announced that "the tyrant al-Assad has been toppled" and confirmed the release of all prisoners from a major prison in Damascus. 

By Aghakazim Guliyev