Latakia, Sept. 28 (SANA) Syria has begun rehabilitating Latakia International Airport, a step aimed at restoring passenger flights and bringing the facility back into operation, the country’s civil aviation chief said.
Omar Hosari, head of the General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport, told SANA that technical teams had started work on the airport’s buildings, facilities and equipment. No date has yet been set for the resumption of flights.
The airport will reopen once rehabilitation is completed and technical and safety requirements have been met, Hosari said.
The work is part of a wider government plan to restore Syria’s airport network, upgrade aviation infrastructure and reconnect different parts of the country with regional and international air routes.
“We are working to restore Syrian airports to their full role in serving the state, citizens and the national economy,” Hosari said, adding that Latakia airport had now entered the implementation phase.
He said the plan also aims to strengthen state management of civil aviation facilities, which he described as part of Syria’s sovereign and strategic infrastructure.
The rehabilitation follows a Syrian-Russian agreement reached on Aug. 9 to reorganize Russia’s presence on the Syrian coast after about 18 months of negotiations. Under the memorandum, facilities designated for civilian use, including Hmeimim Airport, are to come under Syrian state management, while Russian military facilities are to be transformed into joint training and qualification centers, according to the Foreign Ministry.
Syrian civil aviation officials began discussing technical and operational arrangements for the handover of Latakia International Airport with Russian representatives in August, including assessments of its infrastructure, equipment and systems.
Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani visited the airport on Sept. 18 and met Russian officials to review implementation of the memorandum and progress on the agreed steps.
N.J/ABD
