The UAE is said to be studying the possibility of resuming flights by its national carries to Damascus, just days after Abu Dhabi reopened its embassy in the war-torn country’s capital.
“We are currently studying the situation at Damascus International Airport to see if it is possible for UAE national airlines to resume flights to Damascus,” an official statement obtained by Sputnik said.
The UAE’s two national carriers, Emirates and Etihad, halted their flights to Syria in 2012 after Abu Dhabi decided to sever relations with the Syrian regime due to its violent crackdown on pro-democracy Arab Spring protests in 2011.
The UAE reopened its embassy in Damascus on Thursday, the state news agency cited the foreign ministry as saying, confirming earlier reports.
The embassy has been shut since the early months of Syria's conflict, which erupted in 2011.
The UAE Foreign Ministry said its charge d' affaires assumed his duties at the embassy on Thursday, and that the reopening aimed to normalize relations between both countries and to curb risks of regional interference in "Arab, Syrian affairs".
