The Syrian Aviation Authority takes over Qamishli Airport in implementation of the agreement with the “SDF”

Today, Saturday, the General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport in Syria took over the management of Qamishli Airport in Al-Hasakah Governorate, in completion of the terms of the agreement concluded between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

The Authority stated, in a statement today, that a number of department directors at the Authority conducted a field tour of the airport, during which they were briefed on the operational, technical and administrative reality, and discussed mechanisms for restarting it in accordance with the highest international standards approved in the field of civil aviation.

In this context, the head of the authority, Omar Al-Husri, stated, via the “X” platform, that taking over the management of Qamishli Airport is “an important institutional step within the process of unifying the management of airports under the umbrella of the state, and ensuring their operation in accordance with the highest international standards of safety and efficiency.”

Al-Husri pointed out that, in parallel with the receipt of Qamishli Airport, rehabilitation work is continuing at Deir ez-Zor Airport at an accelerated pace, as work is underway around the clock to restore the operational readiness of both airports.

He continued: “The goal is to restart the operation of Qamishli and Deir ez-Zor airports as soon as possible, in a way that serves the citizens of those areas, and enhances the stability and connectivity of the civil aviation sector throughout Syria.”

A delegation from the Syrian Ministry of Interior, represented by the Commander of Internal Security in Al-Hasakah Governorate, Brigadier General Marwan Al-Ali, and the Director of the Airport and Ports Security Department, Colonel Ahmed Al-Ahmad, held a meeting with the SDF on February 8, to discuss taking over management of Qamishli Airport.

It is noteworthy that Qamishli International Airport stopped operating more than a year ago.

Syrian media confirmed that the Syrian government is seeking to put the airport into service during next March, after completing maintenance work, installing equipment, and reconnecting the airport to the Syrian network.

It stated that the Aviation Authority delegation that visited Qamishli Airport arrived there on board a plane loaded with logistical equipment, devices and materials, in addition to engineering teams and technicians from the General Authority of Civil Aviation.

It confirmed that the Syrian government would supervise the entire operation of the airport, while the SDF proposed keeping a number of its employees within the administrative structure and operational teams of the airport.

Work at Qamishli International Airport has stopped since the night of the fall of the Assad regime on December 8, 2024, as Russian forces were occupying a large part of it after having used it as a military base for their forces for years.

At the end of last January, the Russian forces completely evacuated the Qamishli airport and its surrounding centers of their forces, in coordination with the Syrian government, in preparation for the government taking over the airport and putting it back into service.

The city of Qamishli is located in the far north-east of Syria, and it gains great importance because it constitutes the weight of the governorate and its proximity to the Turkish and Iraqi borders. The SDF seeks to maintain its influence in the city, which is the most important city in Al-Hasakah Governorate.