Low-cost airline considers return of Syria services

Budget carrier flydubai is considering resuming flights to Syria after the UAE’s aviation regulator said it was evaluating the possibility of national carriers returning to serve the Syrian capital Damascus.

The Dubai airline will communicate its plans for the Syrian market when the authorities make a decision on lifting a ban on UAE carriers there, a spokeswoman for flydubai said yesterday.

“Flydubai is considering the option to re-enter the market and will announce any operational updates once the decision is made by the relevant authorities to reinstate the UAE national carriers’ operations to Syria,” the carrier said. It added that it “follows the regulations of the General Civil Aviation Authority”.

The GCAA said earlier this week it is evaluating the return of UAE carriers to Syria market and is investigating the safety of Damascus airport. The comments came after the Emirates reopened its embassy in the Syrian capital Damascus in December.

UAE carriers suspended their flights to Syria in 2012, citing security concerns during the civil war.

“The restrictions on the Syrian airspace has yet to be lifted and a team of the GCAA is studying the safety of Damascus airport and developing a vision for the re-operation of the UAE national airlines soon,” the GCAA said.

Etihad Airways does not have immediate plans to restart flights to Damascus but continues to monitor the situation a spokeswoman said.

Emirates, the sister airline of flydubai, also said it will contiunue to monitor the situation.