ICAO withdraws 13-year-old warning on Syrian airspace

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has withdrawn a safety warning concerning Syrian airspace that had been in place for more than 13 years, Syria’s civil aviation authority said Monday, according to Anadolu Agency.

Omar al-Hosari, head of Syria’s General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport, described the move as an important step towards reintegrating Syrian airspace into the international aviation network, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported.

Al-Hosari said ICAO had confirmed that its warning, issued in 2013, would no longer be used as a basis for operational decisions concerning Syrian airspace. Risk assessments would instead rely on updated international aviation safety and security standards, he added.

The decision will allow countries, civil aviation authorities and international airlines to reassess flights crossing Syrian airspace, as well as services arriving at and departing from Syrian airports, Al-Hosari said. He said it could also increase overflight traffic and encourage more international airlines to consider resuming operations in Syria.

However, the withdrawal does not automatically lift operational restrictions imposed by individual countries or aviation regulators. Al-Hosari said the decision would support ongoing technical and diplomatic efforts to address those restrictions using internationally recognised aviation safety and security assessments.

Syria’s aviation authority continues to coordinate with ICAO and international civil aviation authorities to strengthen confidence in flight safety and expand connectivity with regional and international markets, he added.

The original ICAO warning, dated March 22, 2013, concerned the safety of civilian aircraft operating in the Damascus Flight Information Region.

Separately, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) maintains a conflict-zone information bulletin concerning Syrian airspace. The bulletin was revised on Oct. 1 and remains valid until Nov. 30, 2026.

Syria reopened its air corridors and resumed flight operations at Damascus International Airport in April after temporary closures linked to regional tensions.

Al-Hosari said restoring Syria’s role in international air navigation remained a strategic priority, citing its potential to increase air traffic and support economic activity and investment in the country’s civil aviation sector.