Damascus adds direct flights to Madinah as two Saudi carriers expand into Syria
Summary: Damascus International Airport is gaining two direct routes to Madinah, with flyadeal now flying twice weekly and flynas starting on November 19. The launches add to a network that saw 17 airlines operating at the airport in October and now reaches 22 cities in 14 countries.
Damascus International Airport has added another destination to its fast-growing network, with two Saudi low-cost carriers opening direct routes between the Syrian capital and Madinah within weeks of each other. flyadeal is already flying the route, and flynas will follow on November 19.
flyadeal, the low-cost arm of Saudia Group, operates the route twice weekly, on Sundays and Wednesdays, with Airbus A320neo aircraft. The service runs alongside the airline’s existing three weekly flights between Damascus and Jeddah.
Syria’s General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport announced the flynas service on November 10. It said the scheduled flights would give passengers more travel options and widen the range of destinations served from Damascus, though the frequency has not yet been published. flynas already links Damascus with Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam, and in August began flying between Riyadh and Aleppo, extending Saudi service to Syria’s second city.
For Syrian travelers, the routes offer a direct path to the Prophet’s Mosque and to family in Saudi Arabia without connecting through a third airport. Lloyd Misquitta, acting chief commercial officer of flyadeal, framed the service around that demand, describing it as a convenient option for passengers from Damascus traveling to Madinah for religious reasons or to see family and friends.
The new routes are part of a rapid rebuilding of the airport’s network. According to the civil aviation authority, 17 airlines operated at Damascus in October. The airport now lists 23 airport destinations in 22 cities across 14 countries, including Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Vienna and Germany, alongside Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Türkiye, and Jordan. Syrian Airlines began flying to Berlin on November 10, and a delegation from Egypt’s Air Cairo visited the airport this week to assess the requirements for flights between Syria and Egypt.
Air links are recovering alongside the wider economy. In August, the International Monetary Fund said Syria’s recovery was gaining momentum and projected double-digit economic growth in 2026. In October, Syria and the World Bank Group agreed to establish the Syria Recovery and Reconstruction Trust Fund to support reconstruction and attract private investment. Each new route makes Damascus easier to reach for returning Syrians, investors, and visitors alike.
