The flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will resume flights to the Syrian capital Damascus as of next month.
Emirates said in a statement on Monday that its first flight to Damascus will take off on July 16.
The airline said that it will initially operate three flights weekly, with plans to increase to four weekly flights as of August.
The company said its decision to resume flights to Damascus came after a "thorough assessment conducted in collaboration" with the country's General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).
The airline company will also increase its operations to daily flights as of upcoming October, the statement added.
“Emirates is pleased to restart operations to Damascus and support Syria’s road ahead by providing better choice and connectivity, essential economic links for inward investments as well as opening new trade lanes and global market access for the country," said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed, chairman and chief executive of the Emirates airline.
In 2012, the Dubai-based carrier suspended its flights to and from Syria, following the Syrian revolution against the Bashar al Assad regime.
Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia in December, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963.
Since then, dozens of carriers announced the resumption of flights with Syria.
