July 7, 2025 | Dubai, UAE – After a halt of 13 years, Dubai’s national carrier Emirates announced on Monday, the re-launch of its Damascus Services to the Syrian capital, reinstating the travel routes to Syria from July 16th.
The Damascus services will resume with three flights per week but the Airlines goal is to lift the number to four flights per week from August. The Emirates Stated that the decision was made after a comprehensive joint review carried out with Syria’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) ensuring safe conditions to operate the Damascus services.
“Emirates is pleased to restart operations to Damascus and support Syria’s road ahead by providing better choice and connectivity, essential economic links for inward investment as well as opening new trade lanes and global market access for the country,” said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed, chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline.
Reason For Suspension Of Damascus Services
More than a decade ago in 2012, The Emirates airlines halted their Damascus services to Syria, keeping in mind the worsening conditions of the sudden and violent Syrian crisis. The situation fell quickly into widespread violence throughout the country making the on-ground scenario dangerous and volatile, hence affecting the air travel services as well, making them too dangerous to continue.
However, the decision was based on factors beyond safety as well. As UAE cut its ties with the Syrian government earlier in the same year, the halt of Dumasnan services were seen as an extension of the diplomatic disengagement due to Syria’s civil unrest and protests. The airline’s closure was both a practical response to risk and a symbolic alignment with UAE’s foreign policy.
Schedule And Amenities With Relaunch of Emirates’ Damascus Service
Emirates is set to kick off Damascus Services with the given schedule :
- There will be flights thrice in a week on Sundays, Mondays, and Wednesdays, offering frequent connectivity.
- The plan is to also add a Saturday slot from August 2, making it to four flights per week.
- Emirates aims to make the route a daily service By October 26 to ease the cross-border commute.
- The flight that will be used for commuting would be a Boeing 777-200LR with 302 seats divided into 38 Business seats and 264 Economy ones.
- The plane EK 913 will take off from Dubai at 12:00 PM, landing in Damascus at 2:10 PM.
- The return flight, EK 914, will depart at 4:30 PM, arriving in Dubai at 8:30 PM.
Travelers flying between Dubai and Damascus with Emirates will get to experience an indulgent inflight journey that would blend luxury with ethnic charm. The onboard dining experience is set to offer delicacies inspired by Levantine cuisine, complemented with an impressive range of beverages to elevate the dining experience.
Once the passengers settle in, they will be offered an immersive ice entertainment platform from Emirates, which features over 6,500 handpicked options, including 600+ Arabic-language channels, catering to every favorite across films and TV shows to curated music, podcasts, games, and audiobooks.
How The Restart Of Commute Affects People and The Nations Involved
Emirates’ decision to resume Damascus services to Syria from July 16, 2025, after a 13-year suspension, marks an important landmark in regional diplomacy and economic renewal between Syria and UAE. The resume services would boost trade, tourism, and investment in core Syrian sectors like energy and construction, which is highly needed for the nation’s regrowth
The restored Damascus services also gift a renewed path to the Syrian diaspora of 350,000 people in the UAE. This route will fortify not only personal ties, but also economic bonds. It also reflects Syria’s re-join in the Arab League in 2023, highlighting a geopolitical realignment. The UAE and Syria’s trade volumes reached US $680 million (AED 2.5 billion) in 2024, and the new flight routes show light for further bilateral progress.
