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In the wake of the June 10 attacks, passengers found their flights cancelled and their plans disrupted as they travelled through the air passengers’ worst nightmare for a long and often daunting choice, many Trapped and unable to leave.
When baffled Syrian air travelers woke to the unbelievable news that both runways at Damascus International Airport had been bombed, they scrambled to find alternatives, bringing Syria’s already strained aviation industry to the brink of collapse.
The June 10 attack grounded the entire Syrian Airlines fleet from reorientation until costly repairs to the runway began last week.
“Flights from the country are very limited anyway, so the airport closure is hell”
The Syrian foreign ministry confirmed in a statement that the runway was taken out of service due to severe damage following the attack.
Passengers find their flights cancelled and their plans shattered as they travel long and often with daunting choices in the worst nightmares of air passengers, with many stranded and unable to leave.
Emirati fashion student Carla Melhem, 22, was visiting her parents in Damascus when the airport closed.
“It’s been a disaster for me, the flight has been cancelled and I don’t know what to do, it’s a major disruption and most of the people who are suffering are just regular people trying to travel,” she told New Arab.
“Flights from the country are very limited anyway, so airport closures are hell. “
She had to rebook her flight and fly from Lebanon at a higher cost. “I had to spend over $1,000, which I barely collected after selling some gold, just to get back to the UAE via Lebanon. It was a long journey and double my original ticket if Anywhere else this would be condemned by everyone.”
There are only two civilian aircraft remaining in service in the country, two A320s belonging to the private company Cham Wing, both of which were successfully diverted to Aleppo.
Ahmad Qabani, a computer engineer, says new arab He nearly missed a job interview in Erbil and had to delay twice after a grueling six-hour journey to Aleppo airport.
The 25-year-old explained: “It’s not every day you get a good job opportunity, so when I got a call from Erbil, I started preparing and booking my flight. After the attack, the airport was blocked by Closing, I feel closer than ever to fulfilling my dreams. I’m devastated.”
With the chaos that ensued, the only practical options were to travel to neighboring Lebanon or Aleppo, where some limited fighting was scheduled.
Ahmed asserted: “I didn’t choose to travel to Lebanon because it was too expensive, so I took a coach to Aleppo and then flew to Erbil on Wings of Khan. It didn’t go well, I was at the airport Waited for days – long, dark hours. Thank God for Aleppo airport.”
“After the attack, the airport was closed and I felt further away from my dream than ever before. I’m devastated”
The Israeli attack has added more pain and suffering to a country that has been hit by an economic crisis, international sanctions and a civil war that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives since 2011.
According to reports, Israel deliberately targeted the airport runway to prevent Iran from trying to supply the airport with advanced weapons systems. its Lebanese ally Hezbollah – Intervening in the Syrian conflict through Damascus airport in support of the Assad government.
“Today we feel trapped and restricted because everything is closed to us and it is not normal for airports to be bombed. Israel adds to our suffering and it directly affects us as civilians. What else can you say when this country is the largest When the airport was demolished, it didn’t even blink,” Ahmed continued.
The Syrian Ministry of Transport issued a Apologizepromising compensation to those affected and confirming that “all customers affected by the airport closures will be compensated or rebooked flights, and we will also refund all negative PCR test results.”
Syrian Prime Minister Hussein Anos, visited Damaged airport, promised to reopen in the final weeks of June.
A retired Syrian captain told new arab The damage was extensive, and it was the first time he had seen such an event in his 40-year aviation career.
“The Israelis have no regard for civilians or their plans and safety. It’s dangerous”
He said on condition of anonymity: “It is unprecedented for a major airport in a country to be bombed for weeks due to a direct military strike on the runway. The Israelis have no regard for civilians or their plans and safety. … It’s dangerous and God forbid many people be killed.”
He continued: “We are already living in difficult times with insufficient supplies of petrol, cookers and electricity, so paralysing the entire aviation network in the country is a direct attempt to punish civilians, I know people who have been stranded at airports for days, this is absolutely The worst situation.”
Amid the chaos, Aleppo International Airport has been operating at limited capacity since reopening in 2020 received Its first scheduled flight in eight years succeeded as a viable alternative.
Fares Shehabi, a Syrian official based in Aleppo awe The performance of Aleppo airport in difficult circumstances. “Aleppo International Airport enjoys its historic right as an international airport and the economic capital of the country. Its cadre is capable of managing and operating a large modern airport. We hope that after suddenly serving so many flights without prior preparation and planning , all employees will be rewarded.”
Aleppo has managed to receive dozens of flights, despite its small capacity.
social media users Add to: “Aleppo airport is the best airport in Syria in terms of organization, accuracy, fluidity, handling, good reception and cleanliness”, another user added, “We are all for you in this unprecedented situation Proud of the work done.”
Damascus International Airport will reopen after expensive maintenance, so there is no guarantee that such strikes won’t happen again, and for a country suffering from an economic crisis as well as many other fundamental problems, who can say the damage – at least on a material level – will not further impede Syrian Airlines.
Danny Makki is an analyst analyzing the internal dynamics of the Syrian conflict, specializing in Syria’s relations with Russia and Iran.
Follow him on Twitter: @danny_makki
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