Etihad Airways Announces Major Expansion With Direct Flights Between Abu Dhabi And Damascus, Strengthening Uae-syria Connectivity After 14 Years

Published on September 19, 2025

Etihad Airways is embarking connected a awesome description , marking a important milestone by launching nonstop flights betwixt Abu Dhabi and Damascus. This strategical move is group to fortify nan connectivity betwixt nan UAE and Syria, providing nonstop recreation options betwixt 2 historically rich | regions. After 14 years, Etihad Airways is erstwhile again offering passengers nan chance to alert straight from Abu Dhabi to Damascus, bringing some convenience and caller opportunities for travelers.

The preamble of these nonstop flights is not conscionable a matter of recreation convenience; it represents a broader committedness to enhancing UAE-Syria connectivity. This move highlights Etihad Airways’ imagination to link people, cultures, and economies successful a meaningful way.

Etihad Airways, nan nationalist bearer of nan UAE, is group to motorboat a caller formation way to Damascus, Syria, successful June 2026. This move reflects nan airline’s committedness to enhancing connectivity successful nan Middle East while responding to nan increasing request for nonstop flights betwixt nan UAE, Syria, and nan wider GCC region. The announcement of this way is peculiarly significant, arsenic it marks Etihad’s return to Syria aft a hiatus of complete 14 years, owed to nan geopolitical challenges successful nan region.

The Significance of nan Damascus Route

The preamble of Etihad Airways’ nonstop flights to Damascus is simply a cardinal milestone for some nan hose and nan Middle Eastern aviation industry. The caller work will run 4 times weekly, utilizing Etihad’s modern Airbus A320 aircraft. Each craft will beryllium configured pinch 8 Business Class seats and 150 Economy Class seats, catering to some business and leisure travelers. The formation way will facilitate nonstop recreation from Abu Dhabi to 1 of nan world’s oldest cities, while besides providing Syrian passengers pinch convenient entree to Etihad’s expansive world web done Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport.

This summation is portion of Etihad’s broader strategy to summation its world beingness and fortify its network, peculiarly successful nan Middle East. The way to Damascus responds to increasing request from nan UAE and GCC travelers seeking easier and much nonstop entree to Syria. The work is besides symbolic of nan UAE’s increasing negotiated and economical ties pinch Syria, peculiarly successful nan aftermath of nan country’s civilian war.

Aircraft and Flight Schedule

Etihad Airways’ work to Damascus will run utilizing nan Airbus A320, a highly businesslike craft perfect for medium-haul flights. The craft will beryllium configured pinch some Business and Economy people seats, ensuring a comfortable recreation acquisition for each passengers. The schedule for nan way will beryllium arsenic follows:

• EY561: Departs Abu Dhabi astatine 09:15, arriving successful Damascus astatine 11:30.
• EY562: Departs Damascus astatine 15:00, arriving successful Abu Dhabi astatine 19:00.

The timings are designed to connection convenient connections done Abu Dhabi, allowing passengers to easy entree Etihad’s world web of destinations. The 4 play flights will supply travelers pinch much elasticity and greater entree to nonstop flights betwixt nan 2 cities.

Broader Regional Context

Etihad Airways’ determination to grow its web into Damascus aligns pinch broader location trends successful nan aviation industry. Several different Middle Eastern carriers, including Emirates, Flydubai, and Air Arabia, person already resumed aliases launched flights to Syria pursuing nan country’s gradual betterment from nan conflict. The resumption of aerial services is portion of nan broader process of rebuilding Syria’s infrastructure and revitalizing its economy.

Moreover, nan UAE has go an progressively important partner successful Syria’s post-conflict reconstruction efforts. In 2024, bilateral waste and acquisition betwixt nan UAE and Syria reached astir $680 million, reflecting a communal committedness to rebuilding economical ties. The resumption of flights betwixt Abu Dhabi and Damascus is expected to further boost trade, tourism, and negotiated relations betwixt nan 2 countries.

Infrastructure Development successful Syria

The timing of Etihad Airways’ return to Damascus coincides pinch important infrastructure developments successful Syria, particularly successful nan aviation sector. In 2025, Damascus International Airport, nan main gateway into Syria, is undergoing a $4 cardinal description task led by UCC Holding, a Qatar-based company. This description will summation nan airport’s capacity to grip 31 cardinal passengers annually, which is simply a awesome boost for Syria’s tourism and business sectors. This finance underscores nan value of Syria’s aviation manufacture and nan expanding liking from world carriers successful returning to nan region.

Etihad’s Growth Strategy

Etihad Airways has been focused connected expanding its web successful caller years, and nan summation of Damascus to its database of destinations reflects nan airline’s committedness to increasing its beingness successful cardinal Middle Eastern markets. In nan past twelvemonth alone, Etihad has launched 28 caller routes and accrued its capacity by 40%. CEO Antonoaldo Neves emphasized that nan caller Damascus way is portion of Etihad’s broader strategy to link group to destinations that are culturally important and economically important.

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