Today, Tuesday, March 18, the first civil passenger plane landed at Aleppo International Airport after its official reopening to air traffic.
The official Syrian News Agency (SANA) reported that Aleppo International Airport witnessed the landing of the first passenger plane since the fall of the Assad regime, arriving from Damascus International Airport, following three months of work on the maintenance and renovation of the airport.
The report added that the Governor of Aleppo, Engineer Azzam al-Ghareeb, was present at the airport during the landing of the first passenger plane, along with many political and religious figures.
Alaa Salal, Director of Local and International Relations at the Syrian Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA), told SANA that the reopening of Aleppo Airport is not just a technical process but a strategic step aimed at facilitating the return of refugees to their country and attracting traders and both local and foreign companies, especially in light of having a large industrial city in Aleppo. He also mentioned supporting humanitarian efforts by designating flights for transporting humanitarian aid and personnel from international organizations such as the United Nations.
Salal added that work is ongoing to expand the range of services at the airport, making it one of the most prominent air gateways in Syria, capable of receiving a larger number of flights and providing advanced services that connect the country to the outside world.
The Syrian Civil Aviation Authority announced the reopening of Aleppo International Airport to air traffic starting Tuesday, March 18, marking the third time the authority has made announcements about the airport’s operational date.
The authority confirmed that Aleppo Airport is ready to receive flights after completing all technical and administrative preparations, and that both domestic and international flights will be welcomed upon the airport’s reopening on Tuesday.
In the same context, Haitham Misto, Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Jordanian Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission (CARC), stated that a test flight will be operated in the coming days to Aleppo International Airport to conduct a comprehensive evaluation before deciding on the operation of flights from Jordan to Syria.
He added that the test flight will be accompanied by a Jordanian crew to conduct a technical assessment of the operational security and safety for national airlines to and from Aleppo International Airport.
This came following an official request submitted by Royal Jordanian Airlines to operate its flights to Aleppo International Airport, after previously being allowed to operate flights to Damascus International Airport.
The Syrian Civil Aviation Authority had previously set two dates in the last three months for the airport’s reopening; however, it did not resume operations.
On February 27, the Head of the Civil Aviation and Air Transport Authority, Ashhad al-Salibi, announced the reopening of Aleppo Airport a week later during a press conference with the regional director of the International Civil Aviation Organization in the Middle East, Mohamed Abu Baker.
Al-Salibi stated that an agreement had been reached to strengthen cooperation with the International Civil Aviation Organization, emphasizing the authority’s commitment to international standards.
On January 4, the authority had set January 7 as the date to resume international flights to and from the airport.
On February 7, the Governor of Aleppo, Azzam al-Ghareeb, told Enab Baladi that the preparation of Aleppo International Airport was completed in a “record time” thanks to the efforts of the working teams, noting that most of the existing damages had been repaired.
He confirmed that the airport would resume both domestic and international flights, making it a “point of attraction for all those wishing to visit Syria, specifically Aleppo.”
The first plane took off from Damascus International Airport to Aleppo on December 18, 2024.
At that time, the public relations office of the interim government in Damascus told Enab Baladi that the first civil plane had taken off from Damascus International Airport and landed at Aleppo Airport, indicating that it was a test flight, with plans to start international flights soon.
Major airports in Syria had suspended their operations following the collapse of the Assad regime, leading to a halt in air traffic.
Damascus International Airport resumed operations on January 7, following a month-long shutdown after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.