ISTANBUL / Layth al-Janidi / Anadolu

A Kuwaiti delegation, accompanied by representatives from Jazeera Airways, inspected the readiness of Deir ez-Zor International Airport in eastern Syria, in preparation for resuming direct flights with Kuwait.

The Syrian General Authority for Civil Aviation and Air Transport said in a statement on Thursday that the delegation conducted a field tour covering various airport facilities.

It added that the delegation reviewed the infrastructure, technical equipment, and operational services as part of assessing the airport's readiness and completing procedures to resume direct flights between Kuwait and Deir ez-Zor.

The delegation was accompanied by several department directors from the Syrian authority, who provided explanations about the completed work and the airport's readiness to receive flights, according to the statement.

The authority clarified that the visit is part of efforts to rehabilitate and operate Syrian airports and expand the network of air destinations.

It continued that operating the airport will help reconnect the eastern region with regional and international destinations, provide direct and safe travel options, and support economic and developmental activity.

It reported continuing discussions with several Arab and regional airlines with the aim of operating regular flights to Deir ez-Zor Airport in the coming period.

In February 2025, the first experimental civilian plane landed at Deir ez-Zor Airport after a 13-year halt, following its conversion into a military barracks during the war waged by Bashar al-Assad's regime against opponents from 2011 to 2024.

The aviation authority announced last June that the number of companies that have resumed flights to and from the country had risen to 12.

This comes after years of a sharp decline in air traffic over Syria since 2012, due to security conditions and international classifications that deemed Syrian airspace "risk areas."

On December 8, 2024, Syrian factions entered the capital Damascus, ending the rule of Bashar al-Assad's regime that had lasted 24 years, after he inherited power from his father Hafez.