Emirates has confirmed its return to the Syrian capital, Damascus. Flights will take off in mid-July, with less than six weeks’ notice, which is very little lead-in time. It is the latest carrier to return or begin Syrian flights following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad. Among the long list is Emirates’ narrowbody partner, flydubai, which resumed Dubai to Damascus service on June 1, the day after this article was written.

Damascus is the fifth city to join or rejoin Emirates’ network in 2025. The others are Da Nang (Vietnam), Hangzhou (China), Shenzhen (China), and Siem Reap. This year, Emirates plans passenger flights to 143 destinations from its Dubai hub (13 are in the Middle East). They are in 76 countries, including nine in the region. Dubai is the world’s second-busiest airport for widebody operations.

Emirates Will Return To Damascus In July

The carrier will reintroduce Dubai to Damascus flights on July 16. They will initially operate three times weekly aboard the Boeing 777-200LR, gradually rising to daily on October 26, when northern carriers, including Emirates, switch to winter schedules based on IATA slot seasons. With 302 seats, 38 in business and 264 in economy, the aging Boeing twinjet is Emirates’ lowest-capacity equipment, at least until the carrier’s second Airbus A350-900 configuration is operational.

Emirates’ schedule (and that of partner flydubai) is as follows, with all times local. Emirates’ noon departure time is among the carrier’s quietest bank of flights leaving Dubai for cities across the Middle East. This suggests that it’ll be particularly important for the local market, with over a quarter of a million Syrians residing in the UAE. Emirates, flydubai, and Syrian Air will all serve Dubai-Damascus, while Syrian Air also flies to Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.

Emirates Last Flew To Damascus In 2012

The UAE carrier first flew to the Syrian capital in 1998. It last did so in 2012, when flights were paused due to the escalating security situation. In this period, Emirates’ own data shows that it transported over 2.1 million passengers. Analysis of schedules using Cirium Diio data indicates that the Airbus A330-200—once a critical part of its fleet—was overwhelmingly the most-flown equipment. The last aircraft were retired in 2016.

Damascus had up to a double daily operation. Despite this, in 2011, it was only Emirates’ 10th most-served Middle Eastern city from Dubai out of the 15 then on its map (13 now). Doha (no longer served), Kuwait, Tehran, Bahrain, Jeddah, Riyadh, Muscat, Beirut, and Amman all had more flights. In contrast, Medina, Dammam, Sanaa (no longer served), Basra, and Baghdad had fewer.

5 Cities Will Join Emirates’ Map This Year

On June 2, the day this article was written, Emirates began its first flights from Dubai to Da Nang, the first time the Vietnamese city has had Middle Eastern service. 777-300ERs operate on a four-times-weekly fifth freedom basis via Bangkok.

On July 3, the carrier will take off for the Cambodian city of Siem Reap, famous for the Angkor Wat. 777-300ERs will serve it thrice-weekly via Bangkok (i.e., on the other days to Da Nang). I’m sure they’ll make my next Weekly Routes article, due out on July 3. Click here to see my last jam-packed edition!

On July 1, a daily 777-300ER operation will begin to Shenzhen, with Emirates already codesharing with China Southern. Fifteen days later, the carrier will return to Damascus after a 13-year absence. Then, on July 30, the Gulf giant will inaugurate daily 777-300ER flights to Hangzhou. Its Chinese passenger network will rise to a record five cities, with up to seven daily flights.

Source: Simple Flying