Ankara, Sept. 28 (SANA) Syrian aviation officials joined the second phase of international talks to redesign the country’s airspace in Ankara on Monday, building on the launch of an eastern air route intended to strengthen traffic between Gulf countries and Europe, the civil aviation authority said.
Alaa el-Din al-Rifai, director of air navigation services at Syria’s General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport, represented the country at the meetings. Officials from Türkiye, Iraq and Bulgaria participated alongside the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and EUROCONTROL. Saudi Arabia joined the meetings for the second phase, the authority said.
The first phase led to the launch of the L602 airway, which passes through eastern Syrian airspace near Deir Ezzor. The route is intended to offer connections for flights between the Gulf and Europe. The authority said Saudi Arabia’s participation followed the positive results of that initial stage.
The project aims to reorganize and develop Syria’s network of air routes, improve traffic efficiency and support smoother, more sustainable air transport across the region, according to the authority. It also seeks to strengthen Syria’s position within regional and international aviation networks.
Omar Hosari, head of the authority, called the restructuring a strategic project that would strengthen state sovereignty over Syrian airspace. In a post on X, he said Syria was working to develop its air route network and improve efficiency as it sought to restore its role as a link between East and West.
The meetings follow upgrades to air navigation equipment at Damascus and Aleppo international airports. Last Thursday, the authority said it had completed calibration and flight testing of modern navigation systems at the airports and put them into service in accordance with approved technical and operational requirements.
kA/MF
