First International Flight Lands in Damascus as Syria Rebuilds Ties
A Qatar Airways flight touched down at Damascus International Airport on Tuesday, marking the first international commercial flight to arrive since the ouster of former Syrian President Bashar Assad last month, The Associated Press reports.
The flight’s arrival was met with emotional scenes as passengers were greeted by family and friends inside the airport terminal.
The landing signals a significant step in Syria’s efforts to re-establish international connections and begin the process of recovery following years of conflict and isolation. According to Ashad al-Suleibi, head of Syria’s Air Transport Authority, Qatar has provided assistance in rehabilitating the airport, which had suffered from neglect and damage from periodic Israeli airstrikes over the years.
In a separate development, a Royal Jordanian Airlines plane departed for Damascus on a test flight, as reported by the Jordanian state-run Petra news agency. Capt. Haitham Misto, head of Jordan’s Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission, was onboard along with a team of specialists. The purpose of the test flight was to assess the technical condition of Damascus airport before resuming regular commercial flights between the two countries.
These developments come in the wake of a rapid rebel offensive that led to the removal of Assad from power a month ago. Following this, a number of Arab and Western nations that had severed ties with the previous regime have begun reopening diplomatic relations with Syria’s new de facto authorities, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former insurgent group.
Syria’s new Foreign Minister, Asaad al-Shibani, has been actively engaging with regional powers in recent days, traveling to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. These Gulf countries are expected to play a critical role in funding Syria’s reconstruction after nearly 14 years of civil war preceding Assad’s ouster.
On Tuesday, al-Shibani also visited Jordan to meet with his Jordanian counterpart in Amman. According to Jordan’s foreign ministry, the two officials discussed “mechanisms of cooperation in many areas including borders, security, energy, transportation, water, trade, and other vital sectors.”
Syria is currently facing a severe economic crisis, exacerbated by stringent Western sanctions. The country’s infrastructure is severely damaged, with residents experiencing only a few hours of state-provided electricity per day.
