Emirates has returned to the Syrian capital Damascus, putting the “City of Jasmine” back on its expansive network of Middle East destinations.
The world’s largest international airline is ready to reconnect travelers with the city and destinations across six continents. The Emirates Flight EK913 touched down at 2:30 pm with 286 passengers onboard and was celebrated upon arrival at Damascus International Airport, greeted with a water cannon salute.
H.E. Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Sports and Chairman of the UAE Space Agency, headed the UAE delegation along with Emirates executives who were onboard the flight and led the ceremony upon arrival.
Adil Al Ghaith SVP – Commercial Operations, Emirates
“This marks a significant milestone as we celebrate the return of Emirates to Damascus. By providing our services and connecting Damascus to the world, we are helping to reunite families, friends, and communities who have long awaited easier access to their loved ones. The UAE and Syria have historically enjoyed strong bilateral ties and the country has always been an important market for Emirates, since our first flights to the country in 1988. Through our passenger operations, we aim to serve as a vital facilitator for tourism, trade and investment and, in connecting Syria to almost 150 destinations across our network.”
Alaa Sallal, Director of Public Relations at the General Authority of Civil Aviation, Syria, stated that, “The teams from the Syrian Civil Aviation Authority and the United Arab Emirates worked tirelessly, through high-level coordination and a shared vision, to meet all requirements necessary to resume air operations. These fruitful efforts culminated in the successful reinstatement of Emirates’ flights to Damascus – a step that reflects the depth of cooperation between both sides and their shared commitment to strengthening fraternal and economic ties.”
Emirates’ services to Damascus will initially operate three times per week, on Monday, Wednesday and Sunday, with plans to increase services to four weekly from 2 August with an additional flight on Saturday.
Emirates will expand its services to Damascus to daily operations effective 26 October. Emirates customers flying to and from Damascus will also benefit from the airline’s codeshare partnership with flydubai, which will complement its flight schedule and network, providing more options and convenience when flying in and out of the Syrian capital.
The Emirates Boeing 777-200LR aircraft operating to and from Damascus features 38 Business Class seats alongside 264 seats in Economy Class. Emirates Business Class on the Damascus service will feature a 2-2-2 configuration.
