Syria and Germany Sign Strategic Air Transport Agreement

Signing Ceremony in Berlin

On the sidelines of President Ahmad al-Shara's official visit to Berlin at the head of a ministerial delegation for bilateral talks, Syria and Germany formalised a civil aviation cooperation agreement in the German capital. The Syrian signatory was Omar al-Hasri, Head of the General Authority for Civil Aviation and Air Transport, while Germany was represented by Claudia Elif Stutz, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Transport. The signing marks a concrete diplomatic outcome of Syria's active re-engagement with European partners following the political transition.

Agreement Objectives

The agreement sets out a framework for structured bilateral cooperation across civil aviation, with six principal objectives:

• Enhance bilateral cooperation in the field of civil aviation between the two countries
• Reactivate air transport movement between Syria and Germany
• Expand opportunities for airlines operating between the two countries
• Increase passenger and cargo traffic volumes on bilateral routes
• Develop operational partnerships and code-sharing agreements between carriers
• Modernise regulatory frameworks to bring them into alignment with international aviation standards

Regulatory Modernisation and Partnerships

Beyond restoring direct passenger services, the agreement establishes a foundation for deeper structural integration between the two countries' aviation sectors. The code-sharing provisions allow Syrian and German carriers to coordinate schedules and sell seats on each other's flights, improving connectivity for travellers while enabling airlines to optimise load factors. Regulatory alignment with international standards — covering safety certification, air traffic management, and consumer protection — is a prerequisite for European carriers to recommence operations to Syrian airports, and the agreement provides the institutional framework within which that alignment can be pursued. The expansion of cargo connectivity also positions Syrian airports as logistics nodes for trade flows between the Arab world and Europe.