The first direct passenger flight from Berlin to Damascus in almost 14 years departed on Saturday, restoring another air connection between Germany and Syria, according to Syria’s state-run SANA news agency.
Operated by German airline Sundair, the flight left Berlin for Damascus International Airport in the presence of Syria’s chargé d’affaires in Germany, Mohammed Baraa Shukri.
The resumption comes as Syria seeks to rebuild and expand its international aviation links after years of severely restricted connectivity.
Further connections with Germany are also planned. Omar al-Husari, head of Syria’s General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport, said German carrier LEAV Aviation would launch a direct service between Cologne and Deir ez-Zor on September 1.
That route is expected to operate once a week, adding another direct connection between the two countries.
The restoration of air services follows a bilateral air transport agreement signed by Syria and Germany in Damascus on July 16, which established the framework for restarting direct flights.
Saturday’s Berlin-Damascus service marks the latest step in the gradual restoration of commercial aviation links between Syria and European destinations.