
Tickets for Turkish Airlines flights from Istanbul to Damascus, which resume on Thursday after a 12-year break, are sold out for two weeks in advance, according to the industry portal Turizm News, Report informs via TASS.
Turkish officials will make up a significant portion of passengers on the first morning flight scheduled from Istanbul International Airport. Flights will be operated on a wide-body Airbus A330-203, Turkish Airlines reports. The Turkish carrier initially informed that it would not transport Israeli and Iranian citizens to Syria. In the updated memo on the carrier’s website, it states that the ban applies only to Israeli citizens.
For Iranian representatives, permission from local authorities is required to enter Syria. The same rule applies to foreign media representatives. The airline also warns that foreign citizens must have cash currency when entering Syria due to the impossibility of paying for services and goods with foreign bank cards.
Turkish Ministry of Transport previously reported that it is helping Syria’s new authorities restore operations at Damascus and Aleppo airports and is equipping them with necessary systems.