Syrian Airlines to Fly Direct to Vienna and Copenhagen From September 21
Damascus resumes European air links as Syria's civil aviation authority announces the new routes as part of a broader push to expand the national carrier's international network
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - Syrian Airlines will begin operating direct and regular flights from Damascus to Vienna, the Austrian capital, and Copenhagen, the Danish capital, starting Syria's General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport announced on Tuesday, as Anadolu Agency confirmed on the same date.
Omar al-Hosari, head of Syria's General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport, told the SANA news agency that the new routes are part of continuing efforts to expand the national carrier's international network and strengthen air links between Syria and Europe.
Al-Hosari said the authority is working on two parallel tracks: expanding Syrian Airlines' network and regional and international presence while attracting Arab and foreign airlines to operate services to Syrian airports. He added that additional international destinations for Syrian Airlines would be announced in the coming period, alongside the entry of new foreign carriers into the Syrian market.
The launch of the Vienna and Copenhagen routes marks a significant step in Syria's reintegration into European aviation networks, which had been effectively severed during the years of the Assad regime's international isolation following the outbreak of the Syrian civil war. The resumption of direct links with two European capitals reflects the diplomatic transformation that has accompanied the fall of Assad's government in December 2024 and the new Syrian government's active pursuit of international normalization.
The new routes also follow Washington's removal of Syria from its state sponsors of terrorism list, a decision that unlocked a series of economic and diplomatic opportunities for Damascus that were previously unavailable under the sanctions architecture built around the Assad regime. The removal from the terrorism list cleared the way for international financial institutions, airlines, and businesses to engage with Syria without the legal exposure that had previously made such engagement impossible.
The first direct flight from Berlin Brandenburg Airport arrived at Damascus International Airport on August 11, operated by German carrier Sundair, marking the restoration of direct air links between the Syrian and German capitals. The Syrian Airlines September 21 routes to Vienna and Copenhagen build on that momentum, adding two more European capitals to a network that is being rebuilt route by route.
Etihad Airways had also announced earlier in 2026 that it would launch four weekly direct flights between Abu Dhabi and Damascus, reflecting the broader regional and international aviation interest in reconnecting with Syria's market following the political transition.
The expansion of Syrian Airlines' international network carries practical significance for the millions of Syrians in the European diaspora who have been unable to travel directly between their home country and their countries of residence for over a decade, as well as for the Syrian government's broader ambition to rebuild tourism, trade, and investment links with the outside world as part of the post-Assad reconstruction effort.