Syria Aviation Revenues Rise 4 to 5 Times

Alaa al-Din al-Rifai, director of air navigation services at Syria's General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport, said the return of dense air traffic across Syrian airspace has restored the country's central role in regional airspace management. Speaking on Al-Ikhbariah television on Monday, September 28, al-Rifai said this improvement has supported state general revenues, with aviation sector returns rising four to five times.

Impact on Public Revenues

Al-Rifai explained that regaining this position has increased neighboring countries' awareness of how Syrian regulatory measures over their airspace affect their own transit fees, reinforcing recognition of Syrian personnel's capacity to manage air traffic levels and revenue volumes.

Added Responsibilities for Staff

He noted that this growth places added responsibility on authority personnel, particularly in air traffic control and communications departments. Al-Rifai affirmed continued work on developing safety systems and navigation technologies, and tracking transiting aircraft through monitoring screens that ensure safe separation distances, alongside real time coordination with neighboring countries and airlines.

Air Route Network

Al-Rifai indicated that the air route network currently includes four main international routes separated from local paths:

• Damascus, North
• Aleppo, Baniyas
• Baniyas, Damascus
• Deir ez-Zor, Damascus

He concluded by noting the adoption of direct high altitude air routes designated for international transit, aimed at improving traffic flow and reducing navigational intersections that could burden air traffic controllers.

Latakia Airport Rehabilitation

On September 27, Omar al-Hasri, head of the Civil Aviation and Air Transport Authority, announced the start of rehabilitation works at Latakia International Airport, ahead of returning it to service to receive flights and passengers, noting that the project has moved into the actual implementation phase. Al-Hasri said the airport's reopening comes within a national plan to restore the readiness of Syrian airports and develop their infrastructure, and to strengthen state management of civil aviation facilities as part of Syria's sovereign and strategic infrastructure, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA). He explained that the work aims to restore Syrian airports to their role in serving the state, citizens and the national economy, as well as connecting regions to the regional and international air transport network.