DAMASCUS — Syrian Air celebrated its maiden flight to Copenhagen on Sept. 21, its third European destination after Amsterdam then Moscow since the national carrier resumed flights to the continent in July after more than a decade of civil conflict and crippling sanctions. The president of Syria’s Civil Aviation Authority, Omar Hisham al-Hosari, handed out Chinese-made models of its Airbus A320 to the Denmark-bound passengers as they checked in. A day later, another European destination was added: Vienna.

Needless to say, the challenges of rebuilding the national carrier are huge. The inaugural flight back from Copenhagen was delayed by more than 20 hours because the local fuel service provider “dishonored the contract that he signed with us about two to three weeks ago, telling us only two hours before the flight that he would not refuel the aircraft,” Syrian Air CEO Anwar B. Akkad told Al-Monitor on Sept. 25. 

Fuel shortages stemming from the Strait of Hormuz standoff between Iran and the United States have afflicted airlines worldwide, but “this was different,” Akkad noted. “Globally renowned companies in Europe are unable to efficiently complete their due diligence, signing contracts and then failing to honor them,” Akkad said. He declined to name the provider involved other than to say it was based in Copenhagen.

Syrian Air CEO Anwar B. Akkad is pictured at his office in Damascus, Syria, on Sept. 20, 2026. (Amberin Zaman/Al-Monitor)