NNA - International flights resumed at Syria’s main airport in Damascus on Tuesday for the first time since rebels toppled president Bashar Al Assadlast month.

A Syrian Airlines flight with 145 passengers left the capital at around 11.45am for Sharjah airport in the UAE, marking the first international commercial flight from the airport since December 8, the official Sana news agency reported.

On December 18, a test flight that took off from Damascus landed in the northern city of Aleppo, marking the first journey by air in the country since the fall of the government of Al Assad.

International aid planes and foreign diplomatic delegations have already been landing in Syria, and domestic flights have also resumed.

Qatar Airways announced last week that it will resume flights to the Syrian capital after nearly 13 years, starting with three weekly flights beginning on Tuesday.

The Doha-based national carrier “is pleased to announce the resumption of three weekly flights to Damascus, Syria, from 7 January 2025”, it said in a statement.

It hailed a “significant step in reconnecting the region”, almost a month after Islamist-led rebels toppled Syria's longtime ruler, capping more than a decade of civil war.

“Qatar Airways is working closely with relevant authorities to ensure that all necessary safety, security and operational standards are met ahead of the relaunch,” the airline said.

Qatar was the second country, after Turkey, to reopen its embassy in the Syrian capital following the overthrow of the Assad regime.

Doha was one of the main backers of the armed rebellion that erupted after Mr Al Assad's government crushed a peaceful uprising in 2011. Unlike several of its neighbours, Qatar remained a stern critic of Mr Al Assad and did not renew ties with Syria despite its return to the Arab diplomatic fold last year.--agencies 
 

===========R.H.