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Water cannon salute: Flydubai launches flights to Aleppo, second destination in Syria
The new route will offer a convenient travel option for the more than 250,000 nationals living in the country, especially during the peak summer travel season
- PUBLISHED: Tue 21 Jul 2026, 5:19 PM
Dubai-based carrier flydubai announced that the first flight to its second destination in Syria departed on Monday after 14 years of suspended operations.
The inaugural flight to Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities, marks the second destination by flydubai alongside the capital Damascus.
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The airline made the announcement earlier this month to launch a daily non-stop service to Aleppo International Airport (ALP).
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Flydubai bid farewell to the inaugural flight with a ceremonial water cannon salute and an official reception hosted by local authorities upon landing.
The new route will offer a convenient travel option for the more than 250,000 nationals living in the country, especially during the peak summer travel season, complementing the airline’s three daily flights to Damascus and significantly reducing travel times compared to indirect routes.
This comes as several airlines in the region commence flight networks to the Levant country after the toppling of former Syrian president Bashar Assad.
AirArabia added Aleppo to its roster earlier last month, and already flies to Damascus from Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. Emirates reintroduced flights between Dubai and Damascus in June 2025.
Flydubai reintroduced services to the Syrian capital in June 2025, with the airline committed to enhancing connectivity in underserved markets and unlocking new opportunities for trade and tourism between the two countries.
Aleppo marks the latest addition to flydubai’s expanding global network, following the recent launch of flights to Bangkok in Thailand and Benghazi in Libya, along with the planned launch of services to Pokhara in Nepal from September 23, 2026.
The new route represents a milestone in flydubai's network expansion, strengthening connectivity between the UAE and Syria and providing greater flexibility for passengers travelling for business, leisure or to visit friends and relatives.
Hamad Obaidalla, Chief Commercial Officer at flydubai, said that since the re-introduction of flights to Damascus last year, the carrier has seen strong demand between the UAE and Syria.
“The commencement of our daily flights to Aleppo, a city of immense historical and commercial significance, strengthens our presence in Syria and reinforces our commitment to connecting Dubai with key markets in the region,” he said. “This new route reflects our long-term confidence in the Syrian market and our commitment to providing passengers with more flexible travel options, while contributing to the region’s economic and tourism development.”
Hind Aldah is a business reporter based in Sharjah. In her spare time, you will find her playing classical guitar, painting amateur oil paintings, or crocheting the same old scarf that leads nowhere.