The Syrian Civil Aviation Authority has announced plans to build a new international airport in the Syrian capital, Damascus, with a capacity of 30 million passengers per year, alongside the rehabilitation of the current airport to increase its capacity.

Omar al-Hussary, Director of the Civil Aviation Authority, stated during the “Syrian-Saudi Investment Forum”—attended by Enab Baladi and held at the Presidential Palace in Damascus on Thursday, July 24—that the authority has decided to establish a new airport in Damascus capable of accommodating 30 million passengers annually.

He added that the authority also intends to upgrade the existing Damascus International Airport to raise its capacity to five million passengers annually, and to rehabilitate Aleppo International Airport to accommodate two million passengers per year, describing them as “promising investment opportunities.”

Al-Hussary noted that the civil aviation sector in Syria is in poor condition due to wars and sanctions.

Syria currently has five civilian airports: in Damascus, Aleppo, Latakia, Qamishli, and Deir Ezzor. However, the latter three are currently non-operational.

Aleppo Governor Azzam al-Ghareeb previously announced plans to construct a new international airport in the northern city of Aleppo with a capacity of 15 million passengers annually.

Speaking during a meeting with the Aleppo diaspora in Istanbul, Turkey, on June 13—also attended by Enab Baladi—al-Ghareeb said that efforts are currently underway to identify a suitable location for the new airport. He noted that the existing airport is small and lacks basic services.

Plan to establish new airport in Aleppo

Since the establishment of the Civil Aviation Authority, work has been underway to rehabilitate Damascus International Airport in terms of both technical infrastructure and facilities, including service buildings, the main terminal and its annexes, and the runways, which are still under repair, according to the Authority’s Public Relations Director, Alaa Salal.

Salal told Enab Baladi earlier that the authority is carrying out the rehabilitation works in cooperation with several local companies at this stage.

No final cost estimate has yet been determined for the rehabilitation of Damascus International Airport, he added, noting that the authority is continuously implementing new projects.

The Civil Aviation Director’s remarks came during the “Syrian-Saudi Investment Forum,” which was attended by Syria’s transitional president, along with officials, Arab and Syrian businessmen, and representatives from 20 government bodies and 100 private-sector entities, according to the state-run news agency SANA.