Syria’s Damascus airport welcomes first civilian flight with new flag

Flights have resumed at Syria's Damascus International Airport after extensive renovations following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

The first civilian flight, labeled as a test run, departed from the airport on December 18, heading to Aleppo. This flight marked the debut of the new Syrian flag, which was displayed on the plane for the first time, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media. 

The airport in the Syrian capital has been handling humanitarian aid flights. In recent days, several planes carrying foreign delegations have landed at the airport, while representatives of the new Syrian authorities have also departed from Damascus to neighbouring countries.

Syria's airports halted operations on December 8, 2024 following the change in government. At the same time, the country's airspace was closed to flights transiting through Syrian corridors to other countries. The airspace was reopened on December 14. 

On December 18, for the first time in 11 days since the suspension of air traffic, Syrian Airlines conducted a flight from Damascus to Aleppo and back aboard an A320-212 aircraft. 

The flight proceeded without incident. At the end of November, armed opposition groups launched a large-scale offensive on Syrian army positions. On December 8, they entered Damascus, and Bashar al-Assad resigned from the presidency and left the country. 

On December 10, Mohammed al-Bashir, who led the so-called Salvation Government in Idlib province, announced his appointment as the head of Syria's transitional government, which is set to last until March 1, 2025.

By Naila Huseynova