First flight lands in Aleppo after 14-year blackout
Reactivating Aleppo International Airport could reconnect the city to regional markets and breathe new life into medical and trade tourism, a local travel agency director told Shafaq News on Saturday, expressing hope that flight routes would soon expand to additional Arab and European cities.
The Head of a Travel Reservations Company in Aleppo, Mohammad al-Qadri, noted that the move will ease the movement of thousands of passengers monthly and cut the high costs of traveling through distant hubs like Damascus or Beirut. He estimated that air bookings in and out of Aleppo could rise by 30% to 40% within the first six months, particularly among business travelers, students, and families based in Turkiye and Europe.
In a post on X, Omar Hosari, the head of Syria's Civil Aviation and Air Transport Authority, welcomed the arrival of the first Turkish Airlines flight to Aleppo, describing the event as a major milestone in Syria's efforts to reestablish global air connectivity and restore Aleppo's role in regional aviation.
نرحب بوصول أولى رحلات الخطوط الجوية التركية إلى مطار حلب الدولي، قادمة من مطار إسطنبول، وعلى متنها 140 راكباً، وذلك بعد انقطاع دام 14 عاماً.هذا الحدث يشكل محطة مهمة في جهود الهيئة العامة للطيران المدني لإعادة تنشيط الربط الجوي بين الجمهورية العربية السورية والعالم، وتعزيز موقع… pic.twitter.com/JVLzqYTXna
— Omar Hosari عمر الحصري (@ohosari) August 1, 2025
Economic expert Sami al-Salloum told Shafaq News that restoring air routes with Turkiye could revitalize Aleppo's struggling tourism and commerce sectors, if accompanied by customs and logistics reforms.
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