July 21, 2025 | Dubai, UAE: After over a decade of suspended service, Syria to Damascus flights have finally resumed this week after Emirates Airlines’ first commercial flight to the Syrian capital since 13 years. On July 16, hundreds of passengers, tens of thousands of them Syrian expatriates resident in the UAE and overseas were reunited with delight after years of estrangement brought about by war.

Among those who went back is Khalil, a Syrian citizen now based in the United States, and he arrived in Damascus on the Emirates flight from Dubai after almost four decades in exile. “I am returning to my nation, Syria. I have been outside for 40 years,” Khalil said on board. His return is the emotional value and renewed hope that there is for many people, as Syria to Damascus flights are now a possibility for reunions and cultural exploration.

“I flew from Miami to Dubai on this link,” Khalil reported. “This is my second flight in two months. The prospect of returning is real again.” Even with the optimism, ground realities are anything but simple. The visitors arriving in Damascus were greeted with reports of renewed Israeli shelling between the city. Umayyad Square, a development that sounded as much the sheen as the venom of returning home to a corner of the world that still can’t find peace.

Restoring Regional Connectivity With Air Travel From Syria to Damascus flights

Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations at Emirates, Adil Al Ghaith highlighted the role of the airline in reuniting local networks from Syria to Damascus flights . “We are so happy to reconnect Damascus with our network,” he said. “Damascus is an old route for Emirates, we started flying there in 1988 and suspended operations in 2012. With the situation stabilising, we’ve made the decision to reconnect.”

It has three weekly flights from Dubai to Damascus and will increase the frequency to a daily flight from October as demand growth gains momentum. “From Emirates’ perspective, there is huge potential for investors and for Syrians who have lived their entire lives overseas. Now they can comfortably come home on Emirates,” Al Ghaith said.

Syrian citizen Mohammed Ammar Alkhatib, based in the UAE, also shared the same feelings when he boarded the flight. “I have not been home for over five years now. I’m coming in for a brief visit, maybe 10 to 12 days but I’d like to take a look at the developments, mingle with citizens, and see opportunities for economic contribution,” he stated.

While the UAE has led the support for regional diplomatic efforts, Syria to Damascus flights are a tangible expression of heightened interconnectivity. They enable thousands of Syrians throughout the Gulf to fantasize about homeward-bound travel whether for emotional, cultural, or economic reasons.

Recovery Amid Ongoing Challenges

Despite the comforting growth, Syrian skies remain plagued by problems. The shortages of anti-infrastructures, unstable security situation, and sporadic Israeli air strikes continue to discourage foreign airlines from coming back to operations.

But Emirati airlines are eager to ensure Syria’s gradual return to the regional system. Alaa Sallal, Public Relations Director, General Authority of Civil Aviation in Syria, had welcomed the joint efforts. “Syrian Civil Aviation Authority and UAE teams worked day and night to meet all technical and security requirements. This successful reinstatement attests to the vigor of cooperation between our two countries.”

Sallal further added that return of Syria to Damascus flights is more than a milestone in the aviation industry. This is about hope, rebuilding, and connecting back to the world, he said.

In spite of continued challenges, the refurbished building of aviation connection by UAE airlines is a new chapter in Syria’s previously isolated citizens. For returnees, it’s not a flight, but reconnection to identity, heritage, and promise of Syria to Damascus flights.