Aleppo Airport set to reopen after years of closure

Sharjah 24 – AFP: The airport in Syria's second city, Aleppo, is scheduled to reopen next week after being closed during the conflict that led to the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime. The Syrian Civil Aviation Authority announced that Aleppo International Airport will resume operations on Tuesday, March 18.

Preparations completed for reopening

The airport is ready to receive both domestic and international flights following the completion of all necessary technical and administrative preparations. The authority has welcomed airlines to operate flights to the facility once it reopens.

Repairs and rehabilitation efforts

Mustafa Kaj, the authority's head of communications, explained that the airport had been closed due to the fighting during the airport's liberation. It was later damaged and vandalised, with rehabilitation taking time due to significant infrastructure damage, including to the control tower communications, runway lighting, and security screening equipment.

Return of international flights

Both domestic and international flights will be allowed to land at Aleppo during the reopening, although the first international airline to land has not yet been specified. The reopening of Aleppo’s airport follows the resumption of international flights at Syria's main airport in Damascus earlier this year in January, after it had been closed for a prolonged period due to the conflict.