Palmyra Airport to Be Converted From Military to Civil Use

The head of Syria's General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport, Omar al-Hasri, announced a plan to convert Palmyra military airport into a civil airport, in cooperation with the ministries of Culture and Tourism and Homs governorate, to serve tourism in the ancient city.

Site Visit

The announcement came during a tour of the airport by al-Hasri, Culture Minister Mohammad Saleh, Tourism Minister Mazen al-Salhani and Homs Governor Murhaf al-Naasan, to review the site and discuss the requirements for converting it into a civil airport specialised in tourism, according to the authority.

Estimated Timeline

Al-Hasri told Syria Now that the initial vision allows the airport to enter service within 6 months to a year, "in a good condition". He said international accreditation takes longer, along with technical matters such as navigation aids and radar, so the airport can operate as an international rather than only a local facility.

Basis of the Plan

The authority said on its official accounts that it is preparing an integrated conversion plan based on a technical study prepared by the International Civil Aviation Organization in 2004. It added that it will update and develop the plan to suit current conditions and upcoming requirements, helping visitors reach Palmyra and its historic and archaeological sites.

Al-Hasri stressed the need to support airports and encourage tourism because of the significant income it generates, noting that work is under way in Palmyra to serve tourist traffic.

Other Airports

• Al-Hasri said there is currently no idea to convert another military airport in Homs governorate, citing economic feasibility: an airport already exists within a 200-kilometre radius, and Homs is about 160 kilometres from Palmyra airport.
• The plan comes alongside a similar one for Mezzeh military airport, to be dedicated to private and business aviation. According to an earlier statement by the authority's head, this is part of a development vision to diversify aviation types, ease operational pressure on Damascus International Airport and create a specialised investment and commercial attraction point.

No investment value for the project has been announced.