Commercial flights between Syria and Türkiye are set to renew inside per week, Ashhad al-Salibi, the top of Syria’s General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport, introduced Tuesday. His assertion got here as worldwide flights started working from Damascus International Airport.
The airport had been closed since Dec. 8, following the ouster of long-time dictator Bashar Assad by anti-regime forces.
Turkish Airlines halted all flights to Syria following the outbreak of the civil battle in 2011.
Al-Salibi revealed that Syria has submitted a consent letter to Türkiye’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation and anticipates a response inside two days. Flights between the 2 neighbors are set to start inside per week of receiving Türkiye’s approval.
Türkiye has provided help to its southern neighbor, making ready an motion plan to assist restore and rebuild Syria’s war-damaged infrastructure, together with airports, bridges, roads, and railways. “We are committed to helping Syria restore its critical infrastructure,” stated Türkiye’s Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu.
Infrastructure Challenges at Syrian Airports
Syria has 5 airports, two of which have just lately turn out to be operational, albeit with vital shortcomings. Damascus International Airport, which dealt with round 100,000 flights final yr, and Aleppo Airport, which managed 50,000–60,000, are each in dire want of modernization.
A Turkish inspection group just lately evaluated Syria’s airports and located no useful radar techniques, Uraloğlu stated.
“They are still using computers from the 1990s, and there are no proper X-ray machines or detectors,” Uraloğlu stated. He additionally highlighted that the runways are severely deteriorated. “The first flights to Damascus and Aleppo were conducted entirely on the pilots’ initiative, operating without proper systems and under visual conditions.”
The minister emphasised that Türkiye’s first precedence might be to revive Damascus International Airport.
First Flights Take Off
On Tuesday, Damascus International Airport noticed its first worldwide flight in months. A Syrian Airlines aircraft sure for Sharjah within the United Arab Emirates departed at 11:45 a.m. with 145 passengers on board, in keeping with state news company SANA.
Qatar Airways has additionally resumed operations to Damascus after practically 13 years, scheduling three weekly flights.
Source: www.dailysabah.com