
Emirates to Resume Flights to Damascus from July 16
Emirates will resume flights to Damascus from 16 July 2025, marking a major step in re-establishing air links between the UAE and Syria after more than a decade-long suspension.
The airline halted operations to the Syrian capital in 2012, and its return follows a detailed review in coordination with the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). The relaunch begins with three weekly flights—on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Sundays—and will gradually expand to daily service by 26 October.
'We are pleased to restart operations to Damascus and support Syria's road ahead by providing better connectivity and opening new trade lanes,'
said H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group. He highlighted the role of the flights in supporting the Syrian diaspora, enhancing economic ties, and aiding the country's development.
Emirates will operate the route using a Boeing 777-200LR, offering 302 seats. The service is expected to boost access to the airline's global network of nearly 150 destinations and support efforts to attract foreign investment across Syria's energy, construction, and agriculture sectors.
The airline's codeshare agreement with flydubai will also enhance travel options for passengers to and from Damascus.
Emirates first launched services to Syria in 1988 and carried over 2.1 million passengers before suspending flights in 2012. The restart underscores growing regional engagement with Syria and the UAE's commitment to strengthening bilateral ties.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Khaleej Times
3 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Dubai: Emirates uses AI-powered engine monitoring to cut costly flight diversions
Dubai's flagship carrier Emirates is tapping into the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to help the airline enhance flight safety, monitor engine health in real time, and reduce costly flight diversions, a senior official revealed. 'We're using AI to predict the turbulence en route from one destination to another. Using AI is not only for the benefit of the company but also for enhancing the safety of operations. "We are able to use AI to predict the health of the engine, and how it is performing, and that helped us a number of times to avoid diversions of an aircraft because we were able to continue operating that aircraft for the specific diagnosis and live monitoring it,' said Adel Al Redha, deputy president and chief operations officer of Emirates. He was speaking during the ForsaTek 2025 exhibition and conference last week. The event featured over 40 in-house and partner showcases, strategically organised across the innovation pipeline spectrum, from early-stage research and prototyping to proof-of-concept trials, and fully launched initiatives being scaled up. AI adoption is on the rise across all industries, and airlines are no exception. From improving operational efficiency to enhancing customer service, companies are exploring new ways to harness data and automation. Looking ahead, Al Redha stressed the importance of strengthening real-time data capabilities to further improve services. For example, he said accurate data can help airlines load the right quantity of food on board — preventing waste and saving millions of dirhams annually. On the use of passenger data, Al Redha reassured that Emirates is aligned with government regulations. He noted that the airline is already taking steps to regulate and govern the use of public data. 'The more we rely on technology, the higher the level of cybersecurity we need to invest in and ensure that we are safeguarding the operations,' he added. As the technology advances, Al Redha noted that the company will upscale its staff as the airline will increasingly adopt generative artificial intelligence (AI). 'We're going to rely on generative AI. That's going to make some of our jobs easier and information much more faster accessible. Some of the people may not be up to the same level of skill as others. We will have to examine certain staff level skills, and upskill them to be able to manage or deal with what the new norm is going to be,' he said.


Arabian Business
5 hours ago
- Arabian Business
UAE travel update: Emirates announces flight cancellations
UAE air travel disruption is set to continue as Dubai carrier Emirates has revealed an extension to flight suspension in the region. Although Emirates confirmed it will resume flights to Iraq from Tuesday, it said Iran flights face further suspensions. A travel advisory revealed Iran and Iraq flights will resume: Tehran, Iran: After July 5 Baghdad, Iraq: July 1 Basra, Iraq: July2 Emirates UAE-Iran flight suspension In a statement, Emirates said: 'Due to the regional situation, Emirates has cancelled all the flights to/from Tehran until and including July 5, 2025. 'Customers connecting through Dubai with final destinations in Iran will not be accepted for travel at their point of origin until further notice. Customers impacted by flight cancellations must contact their travel agency for rebooking. If booked directly with Emirates, please contact us. 'Operations to Baghdad will recommence on Tuesday July 1, 2025 and Basra on Wednesday, July 2, 2025. Customers connecting through Dubai to Iraq will be accepted for travel at their point of origin. 'We apologise for any inconvenience caused to our customers. We continue to closely monitor developments. The safety of our passengers, employees and operations will always be our top priority'. Tehran – Dubai Until and including July 5, 2025 After July 5, 2025 All flights to/from Tehran cancelled; no Dubai connections to Iran accepted; passengers must rebook via agency or Emirates. Baghdad – Dubai Until June 30, 2025 July 1, 2025 Flights recommence on July 1; Dubai connections to Iraq accepted. Basra – Dubai Until July 1, 2025 July 2, 2025 Flights recommence on July 2; Dubai connections to Iraq accepted.


Dubai Eye
18 hours ago
- Dubai Eye
Emirates extends Tehran flight suspension
Emirates has extended the suspension of its passenger services to the Iran's capital city of Tehran until July 5, citing "regional situation". The earlier suspension for all Dubai flights to Tehran was until June 30. In an update on its official website, the carrier said passengers "connecting through Dubai with final destinations in Iran will not be accepted for travel at their point of origin until further notice". Meanwhile, Emirates services to Iraqi city of Baghdad will resume on July 1, and Basra flights on July 2. Travellers are urged to check official airline channels for regular updates, the airline said, adding that it is "closely monitoring the developments". Meanwhile, Etihad Airways has suspended flights to Israel until July 15. The carrier added that passengers "transiting through Abu Dhabi to connect to cancelled flights will not be accepted for travel from their point of origin". In its latest travel update, flydubai said it expects to resume its full network operations from July 1, pending final assessments. The airline had earlier announced suspension of flights to Iran, Iraq, Israel, Syria and Russia's St. Petersburg until June 30. Air Arabia has also suspended operations to Iran, Iraq, Russia, Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan until June 30.