Damascus International Airport

Damascus International Airport (Arabic: مَطَار دِمَشْق الدَّوْلِيّ, romanized: Maṭār Dimašq ad-Duwaliyy) (IATA: DAM, ICAO: OSDI) is the international airport of Damascus, the capital of Syria. Inaugurated in the mid-1970s, it also was the country's busiest airport. In 2010, an estimated 5.5 million passengers used the airport, an increase of more than 50% since 2004.[2]

Damascus International Airport

مطار دمشق الدولي

Maṭār Dimašq al-Duwaliyy
Summary
Airport typeJoint
(civil and military air base)
OwnerGovernment of Syria
OperatorDirectorate General of Civil Aviation
ServesDamascus, Syria
Opened1973 (1973)[1]
Hub for
Time zoneEET (UTC+02:00 / UTC+03:00)
Elevation AMSL2,020 ft / 616 m
Coordinates33°24′41″N 36°30′56″E
Websitewww.damascus-airport.com
Map
DAM is located in Syria
DAM
DAM
DAM is located in Asia
DAM
DAM
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
05R/23L 11,811 3,600 Asphalt
05L/23R 11,804 3,598 Asphalt
Statistics (2010)
Passengers5,500,000 (Increase50.1%)

History
Airport tower in 2007

The construction of the airport was entrusted in 1965 to a group of French companies (SCB, CSF, Spie and Cegelec), led by the SCB.[3]

In the late 1980s, the airport had robust air service. Over 30 airlines were operating to the city, offering nonstop flights to various destinations in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. Pakistan International Airlines even connected Damascus twice a week with New York JFK via Frankfurt, with three-class B747-300 aircraft.[4]

In March 2007 Iran Air inaugurated a flight from Tehran to Caracas via Damascus using Boeing 747s.[5][6] It codeshared with Conviasa on the route.[7] Seven months later, the latter took over the service with an Airbus A340.[8][9] Conviasa had suspended flights to Damascus by 2012.[10]

Since the onset of the Syrian Civil War, the airport and the road leading to it have been closed intermittently and most international airlines have ceased flights. Several airlines such as Emirates and EgyptAir with former regular service to Damascus have cancelled their flights to Damascus. British Midland International and British Airways stopped flying to Damascus in May 2012 as well, while Royal Jordanian stopped in July 2012. In November and December 2012, intense fighting was reported around the airport, prompting a two-day closure.[11]

On 20 May 2022, as part of ongoing Israeli attacks on Syria, Israel launched a missile attack on a Syrian military position close to the airport, killing three Syrian soldiers. Several Israeli missiles were also reportedly shot down by Syrian air defence systems. Some flights were also canceled as a result of the attack.[12][13]

On 11 June 2022, Damascus International Airport suffered major damage, including to runways, following an Israeli missile attack.[14] Flights were halted to and from the airport in June for two weeks due to the extensive damage to infrastructure.[15]

On 2 January 2023, Damascus International Airport temporarily went out of service after an Israeli missile strike.[16] The airport reopened after 7 hours and continued service.[17]

Facilities

Terminals
Duty-free shops in 2007

The airport is of Islamic architecture, and has two terminals, one for international flights and the other for domestic flights. The airport features two duty-free outlets. The departures hall also includes an in-house coffee shop, several souvenir shops, three restaurants, and a lounge for first and business class passengers.[18] The southern part of the airport has hardened aircraft shelters and artillery revetments.[19]

The construction of a third terminal is planned but its construction has been postponed due to the events of the civil war, this should increase the capacity of the airport to 16 million passengers per year.

Runways
Aerial view of DAM

Current runways allow the landing of virtually all types of aircraft currently in use in the world (including Airbus A380, Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Boeing 747-8). The airport has two vertical runways (05/23L and 05/23R), which were completely renovated in the 2010s.

Airlines and destinations
AirlinesDestinations
Air Mediterranean[20]Athens
Conviasa[21] Caracas (resumes 30 May 2023)[22]
Cham Wings Airlines[23] Abu Dhabi, Aleppo, Baghdad, Bahrain, Basra, Beirut, Benghazi, Erbil, Karachi, Khartoum, Kuwait City, Moscow–Sheremetyevo, Muscat, Najaf, Qamishli, Sharjah, Tehran–Imam Khomeini, Yerevan
Fly Baghdad[24] Baghdad, Basra, Erbil, Najaf
Mahan Air Tehran–Imam Khomeini
Pakistan International Airlines Karachi, Lahore[25]
Syrian Air[26] Abu Dhabi, Algiers, Baghdad, Beirut, Cairo, Doha, Dubai–International, Khartoum (suspended), Kuwait City, Latakia, Misrata, Moscow–Vnukovo, Najaf, Qamishli, Sharjah, Tehran–Imam Khomeini
UR Airlines[27] Baghdad, Najaf

Ground transportation

Located 30 km (20 miles) southeast of Damascus, the facility is connected to the city by a highway. A shuttle bus runs between the city center and the airport. The building of a railway line and a terminal bus station with a shopping center at the airport is planned to connect it to the Hejaz station.

Accidents and incidents
  • On 20 August 1975, ČSA Flight 540 crashed while on approach to Damascus International Airport. Out of the 128 passengers and crew on board, there were only two survivors.

References
  1. "New Damascus International Airport". centreforaviation.com. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  2. "The Report: Syria 2010" Archived 29 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine,
  3. AFP (1 April 1965). "Un groupe de firmes françaises va construire l'aéroport international de Damas" (in French). Le Monde. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  4. "Airlines and Aircraft Serving Damascus Effective January 15, 1989". Official Airline Guide: Worldwide Edition. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  5. Spaeth, Andreas (17 June 2007). "Nach Diktatur verreist". Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung (in German). Archived from the original on 25 June 2007. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  6. "Iran: National airline to fly to Venezuela". Tampa Bay Times. 11 February 2007. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  7. Romero, Simon (3 March 2007). "Venezuela and Iran Strengthen Ties With Caracas-to-Tehran Flight". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  8. "La compañía venezolana Conviasa inaugura la ruta Caracas-Teherán con escala en Damasco". Notimérica (in Spanish). 7 October 2007. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  9. "Itinerarios". Conviasa (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 18 December 2007. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  10. "Destinos internacionales". Conviasa (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  11. "Damascus under siege". Salon. 11 December 2012.
  12. "Syria says 3 soldiers killed in Israeli missile strikes near Damascus". Times of Israel. 21 May 2022.
  13. "Syria says Israel has carried out new attack near Damascus". Washington Post. 21 May 2022.
  14. "'Heavy' damage to Damascus airport confirmed after Israeli attack". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  15. "Israeli strike on Damascus airport in June halted aid in Syria for two weeks: UN". Al Arabiya English. 14 September 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  16. Al-Khalidi, Suleiman (2 January 2023). "Syria says Israel strike puts Damascus airport briefly out of service". Reuters. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  17. "Damascus airport reopens after Israeli raid kills Syrian soldiers". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  18. Natalia Atfee (November 2005). "Les grands projets urbains de Damas". Archive ouverte HAL (in French). Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  19. "Strike at Damascus Airport: Israel Shows How it's Done".
  20. "Greece's Air Mediterranean to inaugurate first flight from Europe to Syria in over a decade!". Greek City Times. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  21. "Conviasa anuncia vuelos entre Venezuela y Siria". Aviacionline.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  22. "CONVIASA RESUMES SYRIA SERVICE FROM LATE-MAY 2023". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  23. chamwings.com - Our destinations retrieved 27 January 2021
  24. flybaghdad.net retrieved 27 January 2021
  25. PAKISTAN INTERNATIONAL SCHEDULES EXTRA DAMASCUS SERVICE IN SEP 2022
  26. syrianair.com retrieved 27 January 2021
  27. "UR Airlines destinations". flightradar24.com. FlightRadar24. Retrieved 2 August 2021.

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