By John Moses
In a landmark move signalling a tentative thaw in air travel restrictions, a Romanian airline has operated the first European Union-based commercial flight to Syria in over a decade.
On Monday, a Dan Air flight from Bucharest touched down in Damascus carrying 138 passengers — a mix of Syrian nationals and foreign travellers. The return leg to Bucharest departed shortly after with 125 passengers on board, according to Mohammed al-Raz, the airline’s representative in Syria.
This flight marks the first EU commercial airline to resume operations to Syria since early 2012, when escalating conflict and the closure of European embassies led to a halt in direct services.
The Romanian budget carrier, Dan Air, plans to expand its services with four weekly flights between Bucharest and Damascus. In a statement, Dan Air CEO Matt Ian David described the route as a step towards reviving trade links between Europe and Syria.
The airline also confirmed that starting in July, passengers will be able to travel from Berlin to Damascus via connecting flights. Additional routes from Frankfurt and Stockholm are expected to follow, suggesting a broader reopening of EU-Syria connectivity.
Dan Air currently operates a fleet of just three aircraft, positioning itself as a small player taking a bold step in a politically sensitive landscape.
The resumption of flights could serve as a signal of slowly shifting dynamics in international engagement with Syria, though EU-wide sanctions and diplomatic tensions still remain largely in place.
