AMMAN/ DAMASCUS — Chairman of the Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission (CARC) Haitham Misto on Wednesday said that the resumption of air traffic to Syria depends on meeting international aviation requirements to ensure the highest levels of security and safety.

 

Misto also stressed that domestic aviation requirements differ from international standards, noting that Jordan awaits confirmation of Damascus International Airport’s readiness to handle international flights before granting permits for Jordanian airlines to resume flights to the Syrian capital, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra. 

 

Misto highlighted that international aviation standards, which apply uniformly to airports worldwide, encompass logistical, technical, and safety requirements critical for ensuring secure and safe air travel.

 

The first flight since the ouster of Syria's president Bashar Al Assad took off on Wednesday from Damascus airport to Aleppo in the country's north, AFP journalists saw.

 

Forty-three people including journalists were on board the Syrian Air plane.

 

Earlier this week, airport staff painted the three-star independence flag on planes, a symbol of the 2011 uprising now adopted by the transitional authorities.

 

In the terminal, the new flag also replaced the one linked to Assad's era.

 

An airport official told AFP on condition of anonymity that international flights would resume on December 24, following maintenance work.

 

Syrian Air has a fleet of 12 planes, but only two, both Airbus 320s, are operational, said maintenance official Samer Radi, citing missing spare parts due to international sanctions.