Syria Plans to Build New Airports as Part of Aviation Sector Overhaul
The head of Syria's General Civil Aviation Authority, Ashhad Al-Sulaibi, announced that the government is planning to build new airports to improve the country's air travel sector.
In an interview with Syria's Al-Ikhbariyah TV, Al-Sulaibi said there are serious plans to build a new airport in Damascus and another in Aleppo, as the current Aleppo airport cannot be expanded due to design limitations. He also revealed plans for a new international airport in central Syria to help connect the country better with the outside world.
As part of these reforms, the former "Syrian Airlines Corporation" has been renamed the "General Civil Aviation Authority" and now reports directly to the presidency. The goal is to restructure the aviation system and improve supervision of airlines.
Al-Sulaibi said Syrian Airlines was left with only two planes after the conflict and was close to shutting down completely. Today, the fleet has three planes, which limits the number of destinations it can serve. To help fix this, the airline has leased one extra plane and is working on leasing more.
He explained that restarting flights to Europe will take time and requires technical preparations, which could take several months. Even though some sanctions have been eased, Syria hasn't yet been able to take advantage of this because the necessary orders have not been issued.
Regarding recent claims that the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are operating Qamishli Airport independently, Al-Sulaibi said no airport can operate without official approval. He warned that no airline can land there without coordination with the civil aviation authority. He called the move a violation of Syria's airspace and a threat to flight safety.
He added that the issue is being followed up closely with the proper authorities to make sure all aviation rules are followed.
Al-Sulaibi also shared that Syria has agreed with Turkey to install new radar systems at the airports in Damascus, Aleppo, and Deir ez-Zor in the coming months to improve air traffic monitoring and safety.
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