Dan Air Flight from EU Lands in Damascus After Years of Hiatus

In a notable development, a passenger plane from the European Union landed in Damascus on Monday—the first such arrival in years.

The Dan Air flight from Bucharest touched down in the Syrian capital with 138 passengers on board, including both Syrians and foreign nationals.

Mohammed al-Raz, the airline’s representative in Syria, confirmed that the return flight to Bucharest would depart with 125 passengers.

This marks the first commercial flight by a European Union-based airline to Syria since early 2012, when EU airlines suspended operations due to escalating unrest and the closure of European embassies in Syria.

Starting in July, it would also be possible to travel from Berlin to Damascus with a connecting flight, according to the airline’s booking form.

Additional connections from Frankfurt and Stockholm would reportedly follow.

“Dan Air is reopening the door to trade relations with Syria,” Dan Air boss Matt Ian David said in a statement.

Dan Air is a small budget airline from Romania that currently operates only three aircraft.

According to a media report, the route between Bucharest and Damascus is to be served four times a week. 

dpa/NAN