Istanbul / Anadolu

UAE's Flydubai announced on Friday that it is expanding its operations in Syria by launching daily direct flights to Aleppo International Airport after a hiatus of more than 14 years.

In a statement carried by the UAE's state news agency, the company said the flights will start as of July 20, making Aleppo its second destination in Syria after the capital Damascus.

It explained that this step reflects its commitment to enhancing air connectivity with underserved markets.

Flydubai CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith expressed his delight at resuming flights to Aleppo after a hiatus of more than 14 years.

He added: 'Launching our daily flights to Aleppo marks an important milestone in our network expansion strategy.'

The company stated that operating daily flights to Aleppo will enhance economic, cultural, and family ties between the UAE and Syria.

For his part, Flydubai's Chief Commercial Officer Hamad Obaidullah said: 'Since we launched flights to Damascus last summer, we have seen strong demand for travel between Syria and the UAE.'

He added: 'Resuming direct flights to Aleppo builds on this momentum.'

Flydubai was the first UAE carrier to operate daily flights between Dubai and Damascus on June 1, 2025, before increasing its flights to the Syrian capital to three per day as demand on the route grew, according to the statement.

This development comes after years of a sharp decline in air traffic over Syria, which gradually began in 2012 due to unstable security conditions, followed by international classifications that deemed Syrian airspace a high-risk area.