Travel and access

Syrian Airlines begins direct Damascus flights to Copenhagen and Vienna

Copenhagen flights are scheduled to start today and Vienna tomorrow, giving Syria's national carrier three direct routes to Europe. What is confirmed, what the tickets cost, and what is still unknown.

The short version

  • Syrian Airlines is scheduled to start direct flights from Damascus to Copenhagen on Monday 21 September 2026, and to Vienna on Tuesday 22 September.
  • With Amsterdam, which began on 2 July, the national carrier now has three direct routes to Europe.
  • Published one-way fares are $310 from Damascus to Vienna, $340 from Vienna to Damascus, and $350 each way on the Copenhagen route.
  • No weekly frequency has been announced, so check with the airline before planning around a particular day.
  • Syria's aviation authority says more international routes and new foreign airlines will follow.

Syria’s national carrier is scheduled to fly direct from Damascus to Copenhagen today, Monday 21 September, with Vienna following on Tuesday 22 September. The two routes were announced on 25 August by Omar al-Hosari, head of Syria’s General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport, and the launch dates were confirmed in the days before the first flights.

What we know about the new routes

Copenhagen and Vienna join Amsterdam, which Syrian Airlines began serving on 2 July. That route was the first regular direct link between Syria and Europe in years, and with these two additions the airline now has three direct European destinations.

According to fares published by the airline, a one-way ticket costs $310 from Damascus to Vienna and $340 in the other direction. The Copenhagen route is priced at $350 each way.

How often the flights will run has not been published. Neither the aviation authority nor the airline has announced a weekly frequency, so treat 21 and 22 September as start dates rather than a fixed timetable.

Why a direct flight matters

Until now, most people travelling between Scandinavia or Central Europe and Damascus have had to connect through Istanbul, Amman or a Gulf hub. A direct flight removes that stop, which shortens the journey and often lowers the cost. Al-Hosari said that was the point: fewer transit stops and cheaper travel, particularly for the many Syrians who live in Europe.

Part of a wider reopening

The new routes cap a busy few months for Damascus International Airport, which returned to regular service in April after disruption linked to tensions across the region. Since then, links have been restored one at a time:

  • 2 July: Syrian Airlines begins direct flights between Damascus and Amsterdam.
  • 11 August: German carrier Sundair lands the first direct flight from Berlin in around 14 years, and a weekly Syrian Airlines service to Madinah resumes.
  • 16 August: The first Syrian Airlines flight from Moscow arrives in Damascus.
  • 21 and 22 September: Copenhagen and Vienna, scheduled to begin.

Foreign airlines are coming back as well. Carriers now serving Damascus include Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Royal Jordanian, flynas, Jazeera Airways and Etihad, alongside Syrian Airlines and the private Syrian carrier Fly Cham. As of August, 16 airlines were flying to Damascus from 18 airports, though there are still no direct flights from North America or East Asia.

Al-Hosari has said the authority is working on two fronts at once: growing the national carrier’s network and persuading Arab and foreign airlines to serve Syrian airports. More destinations, he said, will be announced in the coming months.

We will update this article once the first flights on both routes have operated and a weekly schedule is published.

Worth knowing

Flight schedules into Syria have changed at short notice over the past two years, and regional tensions disrupted Damascus airport as recently as spring 2026. Confirm the current timetable directly with Syrian Airlines before booking anything non-refundable, and check your own government's travel advice, which in many countries still advises against travel to Syria.

What this means for you

  • If you are flying from Scandinavia or Central Europe: a direct flight replaces the usual connection through Istanbul, Amman or the Gulf, which can save several hours each way.
  • If you are a Syrian living in Europe: Copenhagen and Vienna, together with Amsterdam, give you three direct routes home, useful for family visits and for anyone weighing a return.
  • If you are planning a first visit: a direct route makes a short trip more realistic, and since January 2025 most Western passports collect the visa on arrival rather than arranging it weeks ahead through an operator.

Sources

  1. General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport, announcement of 25 August 2026, as reported by SANA and Anadolu Agency.
  2. Syria Now, "Syrian Airlines to begin Damascus flights to Vienna and Copenhagen on 21 September," 25 August 2026.
  3. Al-Monitor, "Syrian Airlines expands Europe comeback with Vienna, Copenhagen flights," August 2026.
  4. Enab Baladi, "Syrian Airlines expands direct flights to Europe," September 2026, for the launch days and published fares.
  5. Kurdistan 24, reporting on the Sundair Berlin to Damascus flight and Etihad's planned service, August 2026.
  6. FlightConnections, route data for Damascus International Airport, August 2026.

Updates and corrections

21 September 2026: This article has been rewritten in full. An earlier version was published before the routes were confirmed, did not name them, and referred to sources we could not verify. It now names both routes and cites every source.

Visit to Syria Editors

Research and editorial team

A small team of Syrian researchers and writers covering travel, heritage, and the practical realities of visiting and returning.