ICAO Lifts 13-Year Syria Airspace Warning in Major Aviation Shift
Omar al-Hosari, head of the General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport, called the move a key step toward bringing Syrian airspace back into the global aviation network, a Syrian news agency reported.
Al-Hosari said ICAO confirmed that its 2013 warning can no longer be used to guide operational decisions on Syrian airspace. Risk assessments will instead rely on updated international aviation safety and security standards, he said.
The change opens the door for governments, aviation regulators and international airlines to revisit their decisions on flights crossing Syria and those flying into and out of its airports, al-Hosari said. He added that it could boost overflight traffic and prompt more foreign carriers to weigh a return to the country.
He cautioned, however, that the withdrawal does not automatically remove operational restrictions set by individual countries or regulators. The decision, he said, will bolster ongoing technical and diplomatic efforts to resolve those curbs through internationally recognized safety and security assessments.
The Syrian authority is continuing to work with ICAO and other international aviation bodies to build confidence in flight safety and widen links with regional and global markets, al-Hosari said.
The original warning, dated March 22, 2013, covered the safety of civilian aircraft in the Damascus Flight Information Region.
Separately, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) still maintains a conflict-zone information bulletin on Syrian airspace. It was revised Oct. 1 and stays valid through Nov. 30, 2026.
Syria reopened its air corridors and restarted flights at Damascus International Airport in April, after temporary closures tied to regional tensions.
Al-Hosari said restoring Syria’s role in international air navigation remains a strategic priority, pointing to its potential to lift air traffic and support economic activity and investment in the country’s civil aviation sector.
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