Inaugurated in the mid-1970s, it also was the country's busiest airport. In 2010, an estimated 5.5 million passengers used the airport, an increase of more than 50% since 2004.[2]
In 1965 the construction of the airport was entrusted to a group of French companies (SCB,CSF,Spie andCegelec), led by the SCB.[3] Damascus Airport was opened in the late 1960s, replacing the old Mazzeh military airport that previously served as the city's main aviation hub. The airport was built to accommodate the growing air traffic and to enhance Syria's connectivity with the rest of the world. In the 1980s, the airport was served by over 30 airlines and had nonstop flights to destinations in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia.[4] It was also a stop-over on aPakistan International Airlines route fromKarachi andIslamabad toNew York andToronto.[5]
In the following years, Damascus Airport underwent several expansion and modernisation projects in order to meet the increasing demands of international and domestic travellers.[6] New terminals, runways, and facilities were constructed to enhance passenger services and improve operational efficiency. In March 2007,Iran Air inaugurated a flight fromTehran toCaracas via Damascus.[7] Itscodeshare partnerConviasa took over the route seven months later.[8][9]
Since the onset of theSyrian Civil War, the airport and the road leading to it have been closed intermittently and most international airlines, such asEmirates andEgyptAir, have ceased flights.[10] Conviasa ended its direct service to Caracas in August 2012.[11] In 2018, flights to Russia started.
In June 2022, Damascus International Airport suffered major damage, including to runways, following anIsraeli missile attack, targeting allegedIranian weapons transfers.[12][13] Flights were halted to and from the airport for two weeks due to the extensive damage to infrastructure.[14] On 2 January 2023, Damascus International Airport temporarily went out of service after another Israeli missile strike, which killed at least 2 soldiers, before returning to operation 7 hours later after the damage was repaired.[15][16][17] It is announced that Syrian Airlines plans to establish a joint venture with a private company to invest, manage, and operate its activities and those of the airport.[18]
On 12 October 2023, Damascus International Airport was temporarily closed due to a damaged runway following Israeli missile attacks on both it andAleppo International Airport, during theskirmishes which occurred across the border in connection with theGaza war.[19] The airport was put back into service on 18 October.[20] On 22 October, both Aleppo and Damascus airports were hit simultaneously, putting them out of service for the second time within two weeks.[21] Two workers were killed during the attack.[22] On 26 November 2023, hours after the airport was put back into service from the previous attack, Israel targeted the airport with missiles, causing material losses and putting the airport out of service again.[23][24]
The airport was closed during theopposition offensive on Damascus on 8 December 2024.[25] On 18 December 2024, commercial operations resumed with the first flight taking off with 32 passengers heading toAleppo.[26] On 4 January 2025, theSyrian transitional government announced that international flights would resume from 7 January, for the first time since thefall of the Assad regime.[27] Services would later resume on 7 January, with the arrival of aQatar Airways flight fromDoha.[28] Flights to most destinations remain suspended.[29]
On February 2025, with the help of the Turkish government, the airport began its renovation.[30]
The airport is ofIslamic architecture, and has twoterminals, one forinternational flights and the other fordomestic flights. The airport features two duty-free outlets. The departures hall also includes an in-housecoffee shop, severalsouvenir shops, threerestaurants, and a lounge for first and business class passengers.[31] The southern part of the airport hashardened aircraft shelters and artillery revetments.[32] The second terminal have a capacity to handle 25 million passengers.[33]
On 4 August 2025, Syria andQatar signed a USD 4 billion agreement for the construction of a third passenger terminal. The project is funded by Qatar's UCC Holding and aims to expand the airport's capacity and modernize its infrastructure. Its geometrical shape takes inspiration from the Damascus sword.Terminal 3 will be built adjacent to the current Terminal 1, utilizing the existing runway and apron infrastructure.
The third terminal is intended to increase the capacity of the airport to 31 million passengers per year.[34][35][36]
The currentrunways allow the landing of virtually all types of aircraft currently in use (includingAirbus A380,Boeing 787 Dreamliner andBoeing 747-8). The airport has two parallel runways (05R/23L and 05L/23R), both 3,600 metres (11,800 ft) in length, which were completely renovated in the 2010s.[37]
Located 30 kilometers (20 miles) southeast ofDamascus, the airport is in the governate ofRif Dimashq. The facility is connected to the city by theM5 motorway.
On 20 August 1975,ČSA Flight 540 crashed while on approach to Damascus International Airport. Out of the 128 passengers and crew on board, there were only two survivors.[57]
On 20 September 2012, Syrian Arab Airlines Flight 501, operated by anAirbus A320-232, was struck by aSyrian Air ForceMil Mi-17 helicopter, with the helicopter's rotor removing half of the airliner's vertical tail. The airliner successfully landed back at the airport, while the helicopter crashed, killing four crew members.[58]
^Spaeth, Andreas (17 June 2007)."Nach Diktatur verreist".Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung (in German). Archived fromthe original on 25 June 2007. Retrieved10 April 2023.
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