Syrian Airlines has resumed direct flights between Berlin and Damascus, restoring a non-stop air link between Germany and Syria for the first time in more than a decade.

The Berlin Spectator reported on 11 November that the airline has added Berlin Brandenburg Airport to its network, with flights to Damascus operating on Tuesdays and Fridays. The first flight on the route was scheduled for 10 November.

The service uses an Airbus A320 with 156 seats, and the journey from Berlin takes four hours and 15 minutes. The route is based on an air transport agreement between Germany and Syria that was signed in mid-July, according to the airport operator.

Flights twice a week

The published schedule has two weekly departures in each direction. Flights leave Damascus at 06:55 on Tuesdays, arriving in Berlin at 09:25, and at 14:20 on Fridays, arriving at 16:50. Return flights leave Berlin at 10:25 on Tuesdays, arriving in Damascus at 16:40, and at 17:50 on Fridays, arriving at 00:05 the following day.

Aletta von Massenbach, head of the airport operator, said the new connection mattered most for people with personal ties to Syria. "Especially for the many people in Berlin and Brandenburg with family, cultural or business ties to Syria, the new connection creates additional travel options," she said. The airport added that two weekly departures offer flexibility for weekend and short trips.

Syria's civil aviation authority said the route would make it easier for Syrians living in Germany to visit or return to their home country without travelling through another airport. The authority has presented the service as part of a wider effort to rebuild the national carrier's international network.

First German link in more than a decade

Syrian Airlines halted flights to Europe during Syria's civil war, which began in 2011 and ended in December 2024 with the fall of President Bashar Assad. The Berlin service is the airline's first route linking Germany with Syria in more than a decade.

The airline was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in Damascus. It serves 18 destinations in Syria, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, among them Amsterdam, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Istanbul and Dubai. Its fleet includes Airbus, Boeing and regional aircraft, and it took delivery of its first A320 jets this year as part of a modernisation programme.

More German routes are already planned. Syria's civil aviation authority has announced direct Syrian Airlines flights to Munich, scheduled to begin on 12 November, and said it was working to approve a German airline to operate flights into Syria as well.

What travellers should know

Passengers should check the airline's official booking channels for availability and current fares before travelling, as schedules can change. The German government still warns against travel to Syria because of continuing security risks, so the return of direct flights does not mean the country is considered safe for leisure travel.

For Syrians in Germany, however, the Berlin route removes a long detour. Until now, travellers between the two capitals generally had to connect through a third country. A direct flight of just over four hours is a substantial change for families, students and businesses with ties in both countries, and a visible sign of Syria's slow reconnection with Europe after years of isolation.