Qatar Airways Returns to Damascus

Ben Johnson

Jan. 10, 2025

Prior to the start of Syria’s long drawn out civil war, most major carriers operated flights to Damascus International Airport. All of these all but stopped over the past 12 years, with mainly the local carriers Cham Wings and Syrian Airlines still running flights. This era of limited flights to Syria though seems to be at an end!

Qatar Airways has began operating commercial flights to the country once again! This is just one of the many hopeful signs that life in Syria could be returning to a form of normality in the post-Assad era. We are hopeful that this will pave the way for more carriers to join in and begin flights to Damascus.

Before the civil war there were numerous flights by Saudia, Emirates, Etihad, Turkish Airlines, Egypt Air and FlyDubai which all ceased operations. This meant that for most people wanting to visit Syria the best option was overland through Lebanon or Jordan. Now don’t get us wrong, we personally love going through Beirut as it truly is one of the most fun cities in the world, however the idea of not having to deal with a lengthy wait at the border does sounds quite enticing.

Currently tickets to Damascus in economy are going for roughly 1800 QAR (approximately USD 500) one-way. Once more carriers start flying this rout we hope to see this price drop and for tourist numbers to increase!

Things are looking hopeful for now for Syria, with European countries such as Hungary reopening their embassy in Damascus. On top of this several high-level delegations have been visiting the country from the EU and the Middle East in order to get in early and establish a positive diplomatic presence with the new transitional government. What exactly the future hold for Syria is hard to know and is something only time will tell.

We can’t wait to go experience the new Syria and we’d like to bring you along for the journey. If you are interested in visiting Syria in a group or individual tour let us know and we can arrange it for you. You can follow us on social media for updates about Syria and when we plan to start running group tours again (hint: it will be soon!). To get in touch send us an email at [email protected] .