Saudi low-cost carrier to launch new airline in Syria

Saudi Arabia’s low-cost carrier Flynas has signed an agreement to establish a new joint-venture airline in Syria, marking a significant step in rebuilding the country’s civil aviation sector. Scheduled to launch operations in the fourth quarter of 2026, Flynas Syria remains subject to final regulatory approvals.

 

Under the agreement, Syria’s General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport will hold a 51% stake in the new carrier, with Flynas taking the remaining 49%. The joint venture aims to accelerate the restoration of air connectivity across Syria, leveraging the Flynas low-cost business model to serve destinations across the Middle East, Africa and Europe.

 

The initiative forms part of a broader Saudi-Syrian investment framework, which also includes a recently signed MoU to develop and operate Aleppo International Airport, signalling parallel efforts to rehabilitate key aviation hubs alongside the new airline launch.

 

Flynas CEO Bandar Al-Mohanna said the investment “reflects confidence in Syria’s long-term economic potential and strategic geographic position”, adding that the country was “well-placed to serve as a regional air travel hub”. 

 

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The joint venture follows Flynas’ return to the Syrian market in mid-2025, when it became the first Saudi carrier to resume scheduled services to Damascus. The airline currently operates 23 weekly flights connecting Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam with the Syrian capital.

 

The renewed connectivity coincides with signs of recovery in Syria’s tourism sector. International and Arab tourist arrivals rose by 80% in 2025 compared to the previous year, with total visitor numbers reaching 3.56 million in the first 11 months. Non-Arab arrivals climbed to 377,000, led by markets including Türkiye, Germany, the UK and Norway.

 

Further signalling renewed confidence, the Syrian Ministry of Tourism signed US$1.5 billion worth of tourism investment contracts in late 2025 for new hotels, resorts and heritage site restorations. Recent openings include the five-star Khan Suleiman Pasha Hotel in old Damascus, a 25-room luxury property set within a restored 18th-century Ottoman inn. Meanwhile, the landmark former Sheraton Damascus Hotel is being redeveloped as the Seven Gates Hotel, slated to open in 2028.

 

For more information, visit flynas.com