Turkish Airlines resumes flights to Damascus after 13 years
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Turkish Airlines initially suspended flights to Syria in 2011 following the outbreak of the war in the neighboring country.
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Turkish Airlines airplanes are parked at Ataturk International Airport, in Istanbul, on Friday, April 5, 2019. (AP)
Turkish Airlines (THY), Turkiye's national flag carrier, was set to resume flights to the Syrian capital on Thursday after a 13-year suspension caused by the war in the country.
The inaugural flight was scheduled to depart at 9 am local time (6 am GMT) from Istanbul Airport and land at Damascus International Airport.
According to local media reports, Turkish Airlines executives would be aboard the first flight alongside passengers.
Earlier this month, THY CEO Bilal Eksi announced the airline would operate three weekly flights to Damascus starting January 23.
"We are returning to Damascus," Eksi wrote on the social media platform X.
Direct flights will run from Istanbul Airport to Damascus International Airport on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays at 9 am, with return flights departing at 1 pm on the same days.
According to a report by the Demiroren News Agency (DHA), many Syrians planning to return home were seen at the airport.
Turkish Airlines initially suspended flights to Syria in 2011 following the outbreak of the war. Turkiye has since become the first country to announce the reopening of its embassy in Damascus after a 12-year closure.
The Turkish government has also called for the lifting of international sanctions on Syria to aid in restoring basic public services and supporting the reconstruction of the war-torn nation.
Turkiye pledged to assist in resuming commercial flights to Damascus, noting that the airport lacked a radar system.
It is noteworthy that Qatar Airways was the first international airline to resume flights to Damascus, restarting its services on January 7.
Read more: Turkiye reopens consulate general in Syria's Aleppo after 12 years
