Saudi Arabia to Resume Direct Flights to Damascus Through National Airlines
Saudi Arabia is preparing to resume direct flights to Damascus through its national carriers Flynas and Flyadeal, signaling a renewed connection with the Syrian market.
The move is expected to serve a growing demand from travelers flying for tourism, business, Hajj, and Umrah.
Both airlines announced on Wednesday that they are finalizing preparations to launch these routes. Flyadeal CEO Steven Greenway confirmed that his airline had secured official approvals last week and plans to begin direct service to Damascus in July.
Similarly, Flynas is preparing to operate flights to Syria in the coming weeks as part of its broader expansion strategy.
This development is in line with Saudi Arabia's National Civil Aviation Strategy, which aims to link the Kingdom to 250 international destinations, handle 330 million passengers annually, and attract 150 million tourists by 2030. It also supports the 'Guests of God' program, designed to ease access to the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah.
Flynas has been rapidly expanding its fleet, recently receiving its fourth Airbus A320neo of the year. The airline now operates 57 aircraft of this model within a fleet of 63 Airbus planes, including A320ceo and A330neo wide-body jets. In 2023, Flynas signed a major deal with Airbus to purchase 160 new aircraft, including 30 wide-body A330neos and 130 single-aisle aircraft from the A320 and A321 families.
This brought the airline's total orders to 280 aircraft over seven years - one of the largest in the region - positioning it to meet the projected growth in Saudi aviation under Vision 2030.
Aviation analyst Moataz Al-Meera described the resumption of flights to Syria as a strategic decision, not just an operational one.
He noted that reconnecting with Damascus strengthens Saudi Arabia's role as a regional air hub and opens access to a market that once saw over a million travelers annually.
Estimates suggest that up to 60% of that traffic could be recovered in the first year.
Al-Meera also highlighted the tourism impact, pointing out that direct routes from Syria could boost visitor numbers to Saudi Arabia, especially with the Kingdom's growing offerings in tourism, Umrah, and entertainment.
He added that this expansion supports the broader goals of Saudi Arabia's transport and logistics strategy, enhancing global connectivity, improving air travel efficiency, and increasing the sector's GDP contribution to 10%.
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