Dan Air: First EU airline flies to Damascus
Dan Air Photo: Creative Commons (CC)
The Romanian airline Dan Air is venturing into uncertain territory. Starting mid-year, flights are planned from several EU metropolises, including two major German cities.
Until now, it was only possible to fly to Syria via the Istanbul hub with Turkish Airlines. No EU member state, only Arab countries, were flying to the civil war-ravaged country. This is hardly surprising, as many countries, including Germany, have not yet lifted their travel warnings for Syria.
Destination for business people and Syrian refugeesBut despite the fragile political situation and the unrest among ethnic groups, Syria could be a good business opportunity for Dan Air – after all, the prospect of reconstruction and visits home to Syrian refugees is attractive. As reported by the specialist portal Aerotelegraph.com and Romania Insider, there will be non-stop flights to the Syrian capital Damascus starting June 15. This makes Dan Air the first Western commercial airline to fly to Syria.
The Romanian charter airline, which has only been operating as Dan Air since 2018, will now regularly connect cities such as Berlin, Bucharest, Frankfurt, and Stockholm with Damascus. These routes are made possible by bilateral agreements between Romania and Syria. The current fleet consists of one Airbus A319 and three Airbus A320s.
"We operate flights to Damascus based on the belief that aviation should unite, not isolate. Romania has a long tradition with Syria, and the two peoples are linked by history," explained Matt Ian David, CEO of Dan Air.
Flight schedule (A320 with 180 seats):Bucharest – Damascus – Bucharest: daily except Thursday
Damascus – Stockholm – Damascus: Wednesday and Sunday
Damascus – Berlin – Damascus: Tuesday and Saturday
Damascus – Frankfurt – Damascus: Monday and Friday
(thy)
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