Turkish Airlines resumes flights to Syria after 13-year
Turkey’s flag carrier Turkish Airlines (THY) was due to restart its flights to the Syrian capital on Thursday, following a 13-year hiatus due to civil war in the country.
The first flight was expected to take off at 9 a.m. local time (6 a.m. GMT) this morning, Daily Sabah reported.
The plane taking off from Istanbul Airport will land at Damascus International Airport. In addition to the passengers, Turkish Airlines executives will also be on the first flight, local media reports said.
Bilal Ekşi, the CEO of THY, announced earlier this month that there would be three flights a week starting on Jan. 23.
“We are returning to Damascus,” Ekşi said in a post on the social media platform X.
Direct flights between the two cities will be organized from Istanbul Airport to Damascus International Airport at 9 a.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Return flights will be made at 1 p.m. on the same days.
Many Syrians who were due to fly to their homeland were spotted at the airport carrying flags and celebrating with songs, a report by Demirören News Agency (DHA) said.
MNA/
