Etihad Returns to Damascus
Etihad Airways will begin regular direct flights between Abu Dhabi and Damascus International Airport on 14 June 2026, Syrian civil aviation officials said on 1 June 2026. The service restores a direct air link between the two capitals and adds to a slow return of international carriers to the Syrian capital. Officials did not specify the initial flight frequency.
Airports Reopening
The announcement forms part of a wider effort to bring foreign airlines back to Syrian airports after years of disruption. Officials presented the move as evidence that scheduled commercial service is gradually being rebuilt and that confidence in the country's airspace is recovering.
Confidence in the Sector
Mustafa Khairalah, who heads the media department at the General Authority for Civil Aviation and Air Transport, welcomed the launch. He called it "a step reflecting growing confidence in Syria's civil aviation sector and its gradual return to regional and international air transport maps."
He linked the route to broader efforts to modernize the sector and rebuild airline confidence.
More Routes Ahead
The authority said it is finalizing procedures to add further airlines and routes through both Damascus and Aleppo airports in the coming months. Each new connection widens the country's links to regional and international networks and brings more scheduled capacity into its two main gateways.
A Gulf Link Restored
Direct service to Abu Dhabi reconnects Syria with a major Gulf hub and shortens journeys that have frequently required connections elsewhere. Etihad is the flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates, and its scheduling of the route points to warming commercial ties between Damascus and Abu Dhabi.
Travelers and Trade
For the many Syrians living and working in the Gulf, a direct route eases travel that has often meant long detours. Steadier air links also support trade and business contacts between the two countries as commercial relations recover.