Damascus International Airport is the international airport of Damascus, the capital of Syria. Inaugurated in the mid-1970s, it also was the country's busiest airport. In 2010, an estimated 5.5 million passengers used the airport, an increase of more than 50% since 2004. The ongoing civil war has caused many airlines to terminate their flights to and from Damascus, cutting much of the city's population off from international flights. The airport has also been previously damaged many times in airstrikes carried out by the Israel Air Force. Damascus International Airport serves as a primary gateway to Syria and is one of the largest airports in the country along with Aleppo International Airport and Bassel Al-Assad International Airport.

History

Establishment and early years

In 1965 the construction of the airport was entrusted to a group of French companies (SCB, CSF, Spie and Cegelec), led by the SCB. Damascus Airport was opened in the late 1960s, replacing the old Mazzeh military airport that previously served as the city's main aviation hub. The airport was built to accommodate the growing air traffic and to enhance Syria's connectivity with the rest of the world. In the 1980s, the airport was served by over 30 airlines and had nonstop flights to destinations in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. It was also a stop-over on a Pakistan International Airlines route from Karachi and Islamabad to New York and Toronto. In the following years, Damascus Airport underwent several expansion and modernisation projects in order to meet the increasing demands of international and domestic travellers. New terminals, runways, and facilities were constructed to enhance passenger services and improve operational efficiency. In March 2007, Iran Air inaugurated a flight from Tehran to Caracas via Damascus. Its codeshare partner Conviasa took over the route seven months later.

Civil war: 2011–present

Since the onset of the Syrian Civil War, the airport and the road leading to it have been closed intermittently and most international airlines, such as Emirates and EgyptAir, have ceased flights. Conviasa ended its direct service to Caracas in August 2012. In 2018, flights to Russia started. In June 2022, Damascus International Airport suffered major damage, including to runways, following an Israeli missile attack, targeting alleged Iranian weapons transfers. Flights were halted to and from the airport for two weeks due to the extensive damage to infrastructure. On 2 January 2023, Damascus International Airport temporarily went out of service after another Israeli missile strike. The airport reopened after 7 hours and restarted services. It is announced that Syrian Airlines plans to establish a joint venture with a private company to invest, manage, and operate its activities and those of the airport. On 12 October 2023, Damascus International Airport was temporarily closed due to a damaged runway following Israeli missile attacks on both it and Aleppo International Airport, during the skirmishes which occurred across the border in connection with the Israel–Hamas war. The airport was put back into service on 18 October. On 22 October, both Aleppo and Damascus airports were hit simultaneously, putting them out of service for the second time within two weeks. Two workers were killed during the attack.

Facilities

Terminals

The airport is of Islamic architecture, and has two terminals, one for international flights and the other for domestic flights. The airport features two duty-free outlets. The departures hall also includes an in-house coffee shop, several souvenir shops, three restaurants, and a lounge for first and business class passengers. The southern part of the airport has hardened aircraft shelters and artillery revetments. The second terminal have a capacity to handle 25 million passengers. The construction of a third terminal is planned but its construction has been postponed due to the civil war, which is ongoing. The third terminal was intended to increase the capacity of the airport to 16 million passengers per year. Russia will be investing in expansion of the airport, with development of new terminal.

Runways

The current runways allow the landing of virtually all types of aircraft currently in use in the world (including Airbus A380, Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Boeing 747-8). The airport has two parallel runways (05R/23L and 05L/23R), which were completely renovated in the 2010s. Their 3600 meters (11800 feet) allow smooth and permanent air traffic.

Future projects

In 2023, the Government of Syria announced that it is considering to transfer 49% of the airport to a private entity. According to many sources Russia and Iran are planning to invest in the airport's development and building of a new international terminal, which would have a capacity of up to 15 million passengers per year.

Airlines and destinations

Ground transportation

Located 30 kilometers (20 miles) southeast of Damascus, It is in the governate of Rif-Dimashq. The facility is connected to the city by a highway. A shuttle bus runs between the city center and the airport. The building of a railway line and a terminal bus station with a shopping center at the airport is planned to connect it to the Hejaz station.

Accidents and incidents