As Syrian regime touts reopening, Iran continues to lurk at Aleppo airport
International air traffic has resumed at Aleppo International Airport, but it is believed to remain under the control of Iranian forces.
ALEPPO, Syria — International air traffic has resumed at Aleppo International Airport, with the first departing plane touching down in Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport on Jan. 15, the official Syrian news agency SANA reported.
“The resumption of flights to neighboring countries contribute to setting the wheel of the economy back in motion and restoring the glory of the touristic city of Aleppo,” Bassem Mansour, director of civil aviation in Syria, told SANA.
Air traffic had first resumed at the airport on Feb. 17, 2020, after an eight-year hiatus due to the war, with the arrival of the first domestic flight from Damascus. On Feb. 23, 2020, a ministerial delegation arrived from Damascus.
Commercial flights, however, were suspended again last year with the Syrian government citing the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. More than 13,600 cases have been registered in the regime-controlled areas so far, with 890 deaths and 7,121 recoveries, according to the Syrian Ministry of Health.
