Syria’s General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport announced on Friday, September 11, that development and improvement work at Aleppo International Airport will begin in early 2027, with the aim of increasing its operational efficiency, upgrading its technical and service capabilities, and raising its capacity to more than two million passengers annually.

The authority said through its official channels that the development work will begin alongside the completion of plans for the new Aleppo International Airport project and the preparations needed to implement it.

Earlier in September, Syria’s General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport signed an agreement to develop and operate Aleppo International Airport in partnership with Saudi investment fund Elaf Investment Fund, as part of a broader effort to rehabilitate the country’s air transport infrastructure.

Meetings in Saudi Arabia Lead to Development Decision

The authority said the decision to develop Aleppo Airport followed a series of meetings and workshops held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from September 7 to 10, 2026, with the participation of Syrian and Saudi officials and a representative of Elaf Investment Fund.

The meetings resulted in an agreement between the two sides on the timetable for the next phase, as well as the priorities and implementation tracks required to move forward with the airport development work and begin implementation in early 2027.

According to the authority, the meetings reviewed the latest developments in the Aleppo International Airport project and the implementation steps required for the next phase, including:

•  Legal, technical, commercial, and financing aspects.
•  The timetable for beginning development work at the existing airport.
•  Field surveys and the technical and preliminary studies needed to determine development requirements and improve the airport’s efficiency, operational capabilities, and passenger capacity in accordance with approved international technical standards and requirements. This work is currently underway.

Syria and Saudi Arabia Discuss Aircraft Financing

According to the authority, the Syrian and Saudi sides also discussed developing the role of Aleppo International Airport in:

•  Serving passenger and air cargo traffic.
• Supporting industrial and commercial activity in Aleppo and northern Syria.
•  Strengthening the region’s connections to regional and international transportation networks and supply chains.

As part of the project, the two sides also discussed financing options for acquiring modern aircraft for Syrian Airlines, which would strengthen the national carrier’s capabilities and help increase air traffic to and from Aleppo.

Alongside preparations for the development project, the authority said improvement work at Aleppo International Airport is continuing within currently available resources, including:

•  Improving operational and technical readiness.
•  Upgrading facilities and services and addressing priority needs.
•  Attracting new airlines and carriers.

Both sides stressed the need for these measures to complement the comprehensive development work scheduled to begin in early 2027, led by BinDawood Investment, which heads the Elaf Investment Fund.

Tenders for Services and Facilities at Aleppo Airport

According to Rebuilding Syria, the project is a long-term investment and development agreement for Aleppo International Airport between Syria’s General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport and a Saudi investment consortium led by BinDawood Investment through the Elaf Investment Fund.

The agreement includes rehabilitating the existing airport and building a new international airport with a capacity of up to 12 million passengers annually, to be implemented in stages.

The project is part of a broader package of Saudi investments in Syria covering aviation, telecommunications, and infrastructure, with a total value of approximately $2 billion.

Elaf Investment Fund is the main investor in the development and operation of Aleppo International Airport, marking the fund’s first investment in Syria.

The authority also offered a series of public tenders on June 25 for the operation of several services and facilities at Aleppo International Airport, under technical, financial, and legal conditions prepared separately for each service.

The authority published the tenders on its Facebook page, including one to operate a counter providing foreign currency exchange and money transfer services in the Aleppo International Airport building.

The authority also launched another tender for the operation of passenger baggage cart services inside Aleppo Airport.