Who’s banned from flying into Syria?

Who’s banned from flying into Syria?
2025-01-17T21:17:51+00:00

Shafaq News/ Airlines operating in Syria have been informed that they are prohibited from carrying Iranian or Israeli passengers to the country, which is now under the rule of a new administration following the ousting of former President Bashar al-Assad, a source at Damascus International Airport told AFP.

International flights resumed at Damascus International Airport on January 7, after a month-long hiatus caused by an opposition armed group’s surprise attack that led to the ousting of Assad’s forces.

However, since then, only a few airlines have resumed operations or announced plans to restart flights to Syria.

A source at the airport, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that "airlines currently operating flights to Damascus have been instructed not to carry passengers holding Israeli or Iranian citizenship to Syria."

Syria and Israel are in a state of war, and there have been no diplomatic relations between the two countries, making it impossible for Israeli citizens to enter Syria, while Iran had been a key ally of Assad’s regime, but ties between Damascus and Tehran have been nearly frozen since the former's ousting.

It appears that at least two airlines have adhered to the measures, although these have not been officially announced by the transitional authorities.

A source at a travel agency in Damascus said, "We received instructions from Qatar Airways that Iranian passengers are currently unable to book flights to Damascus, but we have not received any official instructions from the Ministry of Transport on this matter."

Qatar Airways was the first international airline to announce it would resume flights to Damascus.

Last Wednesday, Turkish Airlines also announced it would resume flights to Damascus starting January 23, after a hiatus of over a decade.

A statement on the airline’s website said, "In line with recent decisions taken by the new authorities in the Syrian Arab Republic, certain rules have been imposed on passengers traveling to Syria."

The statement further noted that nationals from all countries, except Israel, are allowed to enter the country.

 However, it added that Iranian nationals "may only enter the country with prior authorization," rather than a complete entry ban.

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