Roberta Aguirre
Syria's busiest international airport is Damascus International Airport, located in the country's capital city, Damascus. The airport was opened in the 1960s or 1970s and has been targeted by missile attacks during the ongoing Syrian Civil War, causing intermittent closures.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Damascus International Airport |
| Location | 20 miles (32 km) east of Damascus, the capital of Syria |
| Architecture | Islamic |
| Terminals | 2 (1 for international flights and 1 for domestic flights) |
| Capacity | 25 million passengers |
| Amenities | Duty-free outlets, coffee shop, souvenir shops, restaurants, lounge for first and business class passengers |
| History | Opened in the 1960s-1970s, replacing the old Mazzeh military airport; intermittent closures due to the Syrian Civil War and Israeli missile attacks |
| Airlines | Serves commercial airlines offering direct flights to regional and international cities; previously served by over 30 airlines with flights to Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia |
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What You'll Learn
Damascus International Airport
The airport was opened in the late 1960s, replacing the old Mazzeh military airport, which previously served as the city's main aviation hub. The airport was built to accommodate growing air traffic and enhance Syria's connectivity with the rest of the world. In the 1980s, over 30 airlines served the airport, with nonstop flights to destinations in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. It also served as a stop-over on a Pakistan International Airlines route from Karachi and Islamabad to New York and Toronto.
Since the onset of the Syrian Civil War, the airport has been intermittently closed, and most international airlines have ceased flights. The airport has also sustained damage from Israeli missile attacks, causing temporary closures and infrastructure damage. Despite these challenges, the airport continues to operate and is undergoing expansion and modernisation projects to meet the demands of international and domestic travellers.
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Syrian Civil War impact
Syria's busiest international airport is Damascus International Airport, located in the capital city of Damascus. The airport was officially opened in the 1970s and has since undergone several modernisation projects to accommodate growing air traffic and enhance Syria's global connectivity. Before the Syrian Civil War, the airport served over 30 airlines and offered non-stop flights to destinations worldwide.
The Syrian Civil War, which began in 2011, has had a significant impact on the country's aviation industry and, more specifically, its airports. The conflict arose from popular discontent with President Bashar al-Assad's Ba'athist government, which responded to pro-democracy protests with lethal force. This sparked a civil war between Assad's forces and opposition militias, resulting in devastating consequences for Syria's infrastructure, including its airports.
Since the onset of the war, Damascus International Airport and the road leading to it have been intermittently closed, with most international airlines ceasing flights. The airport has also suffered damage due to missile attacks, resulting in temporary closures and disruptions to travel. For example, in June 2022, an Israeli missile attack targeting alleged Iranian weapons transfers caused significant damage to runways, halting flights for two weeks. Similarly, in January 2023, another Israeli missile strike caused the airport to go out of service temporarily.
The conflict has also impacted the airport's expansion plans. The construction of a third terminal, intended to increase the airport's capacity by 16 million passengers per year, has been postponed due to the ongoing civil war. This postponement comes at a time when the airport is experiencing increasing demands from international and domestic travellers.
The Syrian Civil War has not only affected Damascus International Airport but also other airports in the country. Aleppo International Airport, for instance, has faced similar challenges, including missile attacks and temporary closures. The war has caused significant disruptions to Syria's aviation industry, impacting both domestic and international travel. It has also contributed to the country's economic decline and isolation from the rest of the world.
The impact of the Syrian Civil War extends far beyond airports and aviation. It has resulted in a massive refugee crisis, with millions of Syrians fleeing the country and seeking asylum in neighbouring countries and beyond. The war has also led to severe economic challenges and humanitarian crises, with civilians bearing the brunt of the conflict's consequences.
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Airport architecture
Syria is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest. The capital city of Syria is Damascus, which is served by Damascus International Airport—the country's busiest airport.
Damascus International Airport is located 30 kilometres southeast of Damascus in the governate of Rif-Dimashq. The airport is designed in Islamic architecture and has two terminals—one for international flights and the other for domestic flights. The airport's two runways are 3,600 metres in length and can accommodate virtually all types of aircraft currently in use, including the Airbus A380, Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and Boeing 747-8.
The airport was inaugurated in the mid-1970s to replace the old Mazzeh military airport, which previously served as the city's main aviation hub. In the 1980s, over 30 airlines served the airport, offering non-stop flights to destinations in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. Expansion and modernisation projects have been ongoing to meet the increasing demands of travellers, including the construction of new terminals, runways, and facilities.
The ongoing Syrian Civil War has intermittently closed the airport and the road leading to it, with most international airlines ceasing flights. The airport has also sustained damage from missile attacks, causing temporary closures. Despite these challenges, the airport resumed operations in January 2025, and renovation efforts with the support of the Turkish government began in February 2025.
The airport features two duty-free outlets, 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 houses hardened aircraft shelters and artillery revetments. There are plans to construct a third terminal to increase the airport's capacity, but this has been postponed due to the civil war.
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Commercial airlines
Syria's busiest international airport is Damascus International Airport, located in the country's capital city, Damascus. The airport is situated around 20 miles (32 km) east of the city and is known for its Islamic architecture. It features two terminals, one for international flights and the other for domestic flights, and has several shops and restaurants in the departures hall. The airport's runways can accommodate all types of aircraft, including the Airbus A380, Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and Boeing 747-8.
Damascus Airport officially opened in the 1970s, replacing the old Mazzeh military airport. Over the years, it has undergone expansion and modernisation projects to meet the growing demands of international and domestic travellers. Before the Syrian Civil War, the airport was served by over 30 airlines, offering nonstop flights to destinations worldwide. However, due to the ongoing conflict, the airport has intermittently closed, and many international airlines have ceased operations in Syria.
Despite the challenges posed by the civil war, Damascus International Airport continues to operate. In 2018, flights to Russia commenced. In June 2022, the airport sustained significant damage from an Israeli missile attack, interrupting flights for two weeks. Repairs were made, and the airport resumed operations. In January 2025, the Syrian transitional government announced that international flights would resume, marking a significant step forward.
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Passenger numbers
Syria's busiest international airport, Damascus International Airport, is located in the capital city of Damascus. The airport was opened in the late 1960s to replace the old Mazzeh military airport, which previously served as the city's aviation hub. In the 1980s, over 30 airlines served the airport, offering non-stop flights to destinations worldwide.
In 2010, an estimated 5.5 million passengers used the airport, a significant increase from 2004. Damascus International is equipped to handle a large number of passengers and offers various facilities, including duty-free shops, souvenir stores, restaurants, and cafes. The airport features two terminals, one for international flights and the other for domestic flights, with the second terminal capable of handling 25 million passengers.
The onset of the Syrian Civil War significantly impacted the airport's operations, with intermittent closures and the cessation of flights by most international airlines. Attacks on the airport in 2022 and 2023 caused extensive damage and temporary interruptions to its services. However, the airport has proven resilient, with repairs being made, and as of January 2025, the Syrian transitional government announced the resumption of international flights.
Aleppo International Airport is Syria's second busiest airport, located about seven miles outside the city of Aleppo. It serves over one million passengers annually and provides transport options like bus shuttle services to the city centre. Bassel Al-Assad International Airport, a smaller airport in Syria, serves the port city of Latakia, located 16 miles outside the city centre. While it primarily caters to traffic from the Middle East, it also receives international flights, although there are no direct flights from the United States.
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Frequently asked questions
The main airport in Syria is Damascus International Airport, located in the capital city of Damascus.
The airport is located about 20 miles (32 km) east of Damascus city.
The airport has two terminals, one for international flights and the other for domestic flights. The second terminal can handle 25 million passengers, and a third terminal is planned to increase capacity to 16 million passengers per year.
The departures hall includes a coffee shop, souvenir shops, three restaurants, and a lounge for first and business-class passengers. There are also two duty-free outlets. The airport features Islamic architecture and has hardened aircraft shelters and artillery revetments in its southern part.
Yes, since the onset of the war, the airport and the road leading to it have been intermittently closed, and international airlines have ceased flights. The airport has also sustained damage from missile attacks, resulting in temporary closures.
