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Germany adds Damascus routes
Syria’s General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport announced Monday the launch of scheduled direct flights between Syria and Germany through two German airlines, aiming to strengthen air connectivity and expand destinations served by Syrian airports.
The authority said on its Telegram channel that LEAV Aviation will begin operating scheduled direct flights between Düsseldorf and Damascus on July 29, followed by direct services between Cologne and Aleppo on Aug. 1.
It added that Sundair will begin scheduled direct flights between Berlin and Damascus on Aug. 1, while its direct services between Berlin and Aleppo are scheduled to start on Oct. 1.
The announcement came as part of an air transport cooperation agreement signed between Syria and Germany on March 30 in Berlin, in the presence of Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara, and the authority said actual flight operations remain contingent on meeting technical and legal requirements and adherence to European safety standards in aviation.
Officials frame approvals and talks
Euronews reported that Omar Al-Hosari, head of the authority, said on his X account that the German firms Sundair and LEAV Aviation joined the list of carriers authorized to operate regular flights to Syria after all required operational and regulatory permits were fulfilled.
Al-Hosari said Sundair will operate two weekly flights connecting Berlin with Damascus and Aleppo, starting from August 1 and then in October, while LEAV Aviation plans two weekly flights linking Damascus and Aleppo with Düsseldorf and Cologne to launch by the end of July and the beginning of August.
In parallel, Egypt’s Minister of Civil Aviation Sameh El-Hefni told CNBC Arabia that discussions are ongoing to reopen direct air service with Syria in the coming phase, adding that it depends on fulfilling certain aviation security and safety requirements.
Euronews also said EgyptAir had suspended its commercial flights and closed its offices in Syria since December 2012 due to security disruptions around Damascus International Airport, while Syrian carriers continued operating flights between Damascus and Cairo until the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024.
Network expansion and next destinations
The Syrian authority said the return of German aviation helps strengthen air links between Syria and Germany, provides diverse travel options, and expands the network of destinations to and from Syrian airports, after years of sharp decline in air traffic over Syrian airspace.
“Regular flights from Germany The head of the Authority, عمر الحصري, announced via his X account the joining of the German companies Sundair and LEAV Aviation to the list of carriers operating regular flights to Syria, after all the necessary operational and regulatory approvals were completed”
In a statement, the authority confirmed that LEAV Aviation will begin operating regular, direct flights between Düsseldorf and Damascus starting July 29, 2026, and that Sundair will begin operating regular, direct flights between Berlin and Damascus as of August 1, 2026, with Berlin–Aleppo starting October 1.
Al-Jazeera Net said the authority is continuing discussions with other international airlines wishing to operate to Syria, and that any new agreements will be announced as soon as procedures are completed, while Syrian Airlines will soon announce its schedule of regular flights to the Federal Republic of Germany.
Al-Jazeera Net also tied the new German routes to broader connectivity moves, saying Syrian Airlines launched its first direct flights between Damascus and Amsterdam at the beginning of July, with the inaugural flight departing Schiphol Airport bound for Damascus International Airport on a plane rented from Heston Airlines.
