Syrian Airlines Resumes Direct Flights to Moscow and Europe

Syrian Airlines is expanding its international network by resuming direct flights from Damascus to Amsterdam, Madinah, and Moscow. Following its return to the European market via Amsterdam on July 2, the carrier will resume weekly flights to Madinah, Saudi Arabia, on August 11 and launch scheduled services to Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport on August 16. The Moscow route marks the first direct air travel between the two nations since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad in late 2024.

To support this growth, the Syrian Aviation Holding Company and the Syrian Civil Aviation Authority are implementing a 2030 rehabilitation plan. This strategy includes a $250 million financing package to acquire up to 10 Airbus A320 aircraft. Increased activity was already evident in July 2026, with 20,315 aircraft transiting Syrian airspace.

In a parallel development, Iraqi Airways resumed flights between Baghdad and Moscow on August 4. While Iraqi Ambassador Abdul-Karim Hashim Mustafa promoted Iraq as safe for tourists, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and several Western governments, including the United States and Britain, continue to advise citizens against traveling to Syria and parts of Iraq due to risks of terrorism, kidnapping, and armed conflict.