ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A delegation from Lufthansa met with senior officials from Syria’s aviation authority to discuss the potential restoration of flights between Syria and Europe, according to Syrian state media. The effort comes after Germany’s flag carrier had suspended its flights to Syria more than a decade ago, amid the outbreak of the Syrian civil war.
The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported on Tuesday that a Lufthansa delegation met with officials from the General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport, including Chairman Omar Hosari, to “discuss ways to reactivate flights between Syria and Europe and enhance aspects of joint cooperation in the fields of air transport and technical services.”
Both sides “stressed the importance of developing the Syrian civil aviation sector and expanding prospects for cooperation with European companies,” SANA added.
In a statement on X, Hosari said the meeting with the Lufthansa delegation focused on conducting “a technical and security assessment of Damascus International Airport as part of the technical cooperation between the two sides.”
He noted that the meeting included “a fruitful discussion regarding the reinstatement of flight operations between Syria and Europe and ways to expand cooperation in the fields of air transport, technical, and operational services.”
“This is a new step confirming Syria's openness and strengthening its presence on the international aviation map,” the head of the aviation authority concluded.
Along with many other European Union carriers, Lufthansa suspended its regular scheduled passenger flights to Syria in 2011, during the early stages of the Syrian Civil War. The airline cited security risks and ongoing unrest that made operations unsafe for both passengers and crew.
According to SANA, the German flag carrier recently dispatched “a specialized technical team” to “conduct a routine assessment” of Damascus International Airport on May 21, “as part of finalizing the procedures for the resumption of air operations between Syria and Germany.
Since the early December ouster of longtime Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s primary airports have resumed commercial international flight operations, ending a prolonged period of isolation. The country’s airspace reopened to overflights in mid-December, following its temporary closure amid the regime change.
Qatar Airways became the first international carrier to resume service in early January, ending a 13-year suspension. Around the same time, Syrian Airlines reinstated flights to Sharjah International Airport in the United Arab Emirates.
By late January, both Turkish Airlines and Royal Jordanian Airlines had also resumed flights to Syria. Following the reopening of Damascus, Aleppo International Airport - the country’s second major hub - resumed limited commercial operations in late March.
As of late 2025, a growing number of carriers have reconnected with Damascus and Aleppo.