Syria says UN aviation agency withdraws 13-year-old airspace warning

By Sahin Demir

ISTANBUL (AA) - The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has withdrawn a safety warning concerning Syrian airspace that had been in place for more than 13 years, Syria’s civil aviation authority said Monday.

Omar al-Hosari, head of Syria’s General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport, said the withdrawal marked an important step toward reintegrating Syrian airspace into the international aviation network, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

He said ICAO had confirmed that its previous warning, issued in 2013, would no longer serve as a basis for operational decisions concerning Syrian airspace.

Instead, risk assessments would be based on updated international aviation safety and security standards, he added.

Al-Hosari said the development would allow countries, civil aviation authorities and international airlines to reassess their decisions regarding flights crossing Syrian airspace, as well as those arriving at and departing from Syrian airports.

The move could help increase overflight traffic and encourage additional international airlines to consider resuming operations to Syria, he said.

However, he stressed that the withdrawal would not automatically lift operational restrictions imposed by individual countries or aviation regulators.

He said the decision would support ongoing technical and diplomatic efforts to address such restrictions based on internationally recognized aviation safety and security assessments.

The Syrian aviation authority continues to coordinate with ICAO and international civil aviation authorities to strengthen confidence in the safety of flight operations and expand connectivity with regional and international markets, he added.

The original ICAO warning, dated March 22, 2013, concerned the safety of civilian aircraft operating in the Damascus Flight Information Region.

Separately, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) maintains a conflict-zone information bulletin concerning Syrian airspace, which was revised on Oct. 1 and remains valid until Nov. 30, 2026.

Syria had previously reopened its air corridors and resumed flight operations at Damascus International Airport in April following temporary closures linked to regional tensions.

Al-Hosari said restoring Syria’s role in international air navigation remains a strategic priority, citing its potential to increase air traffic and support economic activity and investment in the country’s civil aviation sector.

Şahin Demir