Saudi low cost carrier flynas is doubling down on Syria’s aviation comeback, preparing to launch a dedicated joint airline, Flynas Syria, that industry observers say could transform the country’s tourist landscape and bring long hidden cultural and natural treasures back into the global spotlight. Building on the restoration of direct routes between Riyadh, Jeddah and Damascus in 2025, the new carrier is designed to anchor a broader wave of post conflict recovery, from Aleppo’s Old City and coastal Latakia to lesser known desert monasteries and alpine landscapes in the coastal and interior mountains.
A New Airline for a Reemerging Destination
The announcement of Flynas Syria came as part of a series of multibillion dollar investment agreements between Syria and Saudi Arabia in Damascus in February 2026, which also included a major telecommunications project and plans to upgrade Aleppo International Airport to handle up to 12 million passengers a year. Framed as a low cost joint airline tailored to the Syrian market, Flynas Syria will sit alongside the existing flynas operations that already connect Saudi cities with Damascus, positioning the brand as a central player in the country’s aviation revival.
While full details of the new carrier’s fleet and initial network have yet to be made public, aviation analysts expect Flynas Syria to draw on the parent company’s experience with Airbus A320 family aircraft and its established low cost model. The intent is clear: to bring regional fares down, multiply frequencies and open routes that cater not only to Syrian expatriates and business travelers but also to leisure visitors who have been waiting for a practical way back into the country.
The launch dovetails with a notable rebound in scheduled traffic. By February 2026, Syria’s airports were handling roughly 500 weekly flights and close to 82,000 seats, with the majority concentrated at Damascus International Airport. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates already rank among the most important source markets for air services, and flynas is currently the leading foreign operator into Syria in terms of weekly frequencies. Flynas Syria is expected to reinforce that footprint and, crucially, to specialize in point to point links that make tourist circuits within the country easier to plan.
For Syria’s interim authorities, the new airline is as much a political and economic signal as it is a transport project. It underscores a strategic shift from isolation toward integration with regional travel networks, reassuring investors and tour operators that the country is committed to stabilizing its skies and welcoming visitors once more.
From First Flights to Full Connectivity
The groundwork for Flynas Syria was laid in 2025, when flynas became the first Saudi airline in twelve years to resume direct flights to Damascus. In June that year, the carrier inaugurated nonstop service from Riyadh to the Syrian capital, followed shortly after by two weekly flights from Jeddah. These routes restored a vital bridge that had been cut during the long conflict and marked a turning point in Syria’s aviation fortunes.
Flynas had, before the war, operated routes linking Riyadh and Jeddah to Damascus, Aleppo and Latakia, and its return has been framed as a resumption of those “brotherly” ties. Around the same time, other regional carriers, including low cost rival flyadeal and airlines from the United Arab Emirates, announced or began their own services into Syrian airports. For travelers, this meant a fast improving menu of flight options after years of detours through third countries and convoluted connections.
By early 2026, flynas was operating 21 weekly flights into Syria, serving Damascus and other key markets such as Kuwait, which has become one of the densest routes in the country. This frequency does more than populate timetables. It stabilizes seat capacity and pricing, encourages competition and gives tour operators the confidence to design fixed departure itineraries, particularly for Gulf based travelers keen on short cultural breaks.
Flynas Syria is intended to be the next tier of that connectivity story. As a locally based carrier, it can be more agile in responding to seasonal demand, from religious tourism linked to historic shrines to summer escapes in Syria’s cooler mountain resorts. It will also be well placed to layer in secondary routes that link key tourist gateways such as Aleppo and Latakia with regional hubs, reducing the need to backtrack through Damascus.
Tourism as a Pillar of Post Conflict Recovery
The return of scheduled flights and the creation of Flynas Syria come at a sensitive moment in Syria’s recovery. With most Western sanctions lifted following the political transition in late 2024 and the installation of an interim government, Damascus has moved quickly to position tourism alongside telecommunications, energy and infrastructure as a pillar of economic regeneration. New agreements with Saudi investors form part of a broader package worth more than six billion dollars signed since mid 2025, aimed at rebuilding roads, airports and utilities that are essential for a tourism rebound.
Tourism was once a major employer and revenue source in Syria, attracting cultural travelers to its ancient cities, religious pilgrims to revered Christian and Islamic sites, and regional holidaymakers to its Mediterranean coast. The war shattered this industry: hotel stocks were damaged or repurposed, visitor numbers collapsed and skilled staff emigrated. Reversing that decline rests on reestablishing predictable, affordable air access, which is where flynas and the new Flynas Syria venture play a decisive role.
In policy terms, the interim government has signaled that it wants to avoid a purely extractive or speculative tourism model. Officials and investors talk about sustainable growth that spreads benefits beyond a few enclaves. The upgrade of Aleppo’s international airport, for example, is explicitly tied to reviving the broader northern region, not just the city itself, and integrating it into regional trade and travel flows.
Tourism also carries a soft power dimension. As flights resume and pictures of restored souks, citadels and coastal promenades circulate, Syria gains an opportunity to reshape its international image from that of a battlefield to that of a country rebuilding and reconnecting. Flynas Syria, with a brand identity that blends Saudi backing and Syrian focus, is likely to be one of the most visible symbols of that shift.
Unveiling Syria’s Hidden Cultural Treasures
For travelers, the most exciting aspect of Flynas Syria is not the aircraft livery but what sits at the end of the runway. Beyond the familiar postcard images of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus and the Citadel of Aleppo, Syria shelters a mosaic of less visited cultural sites that could become marquee attractions as stability returns and access improves.
In the limestone hills of the northwest and north, ancient Christian monastic complexes, early Byzantine basilicas and entire “dead cities” of stone farmhouses stand almost frozen in time. Many escaped the worst of the fighting, either due to their remoteness or because front lines shifted elsewhere. For history enthusiasts, these sites offer a rare, in situ glimpse into late antique rural life and the birth of Christian architecture, rivaling better known complexes in neighboring countries.
Further east, the Euphrates River valley holds layered landscapes of Ottoman era trading posts, mudbrick villages and archaeological mounds that trace back to Bronze Age kingdoms. While some areas remain under reconstruction and will require careful security assessments before being opened to regular tours, others are already being evaluated by heritage experts and local authorities as candidates for controlled, small group visits. Flynas Syria’s routes could make it feasible to link a classic Damascus and Aleppo itinerary with excursions to these lesser known cultural corridors.
Even within Damascus itself, much of the charm lies away from the standard stops. Restored courtyard houses turned into small guesthouses, artisan workshops reviving traditional crafts and neighborhood markets that survived the war’s disruptions provide authentic windows into contemporary Syrian life. As direct flights bring in more culturally curious travelers from the Gulf and beyond, demand is expected to rise for curated experiences that go beyond the checklist of monuments.
Nature, Coast and Mountains: Syria’s Underrated Landscapes
While Syria is best known abroad for its urban heritage, its natural scenery has long attracted regional visitors seeking a cooler climate in summer or a quick coastal escape. The reactivation of routes into Latakia and the planned expansion of services into northern Syria via an upgraded Aleppo airport will be crucial in reviving this side of the tourism portfolio.
Along the Mediterranean, forested headlands, pebble beaches and small fishing ports line the coast from Latakia and Jableh up toward the Turkish border. Before the conflict, Syrian families and visitors from neighboring countries would decamp here for beach holidays that combined sea swimming with visits to nearby ruins and hill villages. With new investment expected in mid range beach resorts and family friendly hotels, Flynas Syria has an opportunity to package short “fly and stay” products aimed at Gulf residents looking for alternatives to overcrowded regional hotspots.
Inland, the coastal and interior mountain ranges offer cooler temperatures, terraced olive groves and pine forests that feel far removed from the bustle of Damascus. Modest but growing interest in hiking, cycling and rural guesthouse stays predates the war and is now being rediscovered by younger Syrians and diaspora travelers. With careful planning and support for community based initiatives, these areas could evolve into a sustainable nature tourism belt, spreading the economic benefits of increased air access to smaller towns.
Even winter has potential. Syria’s higher peaks can see snow for several months, and while the country does not yet have the large scale ski infrastructure of some neighbors, small local facilities and natural snowfields could eventually be developed into niche winter sports or snow play destinations, particularly for regional families flying in on low cost services.
Infrastructure Upgrades to Support a Tourism Surge
Airlines alone cannot transform a destination. The plans wrapped around Flynas Syria involve upgrading the broader infrastructure that supports tourism at scale, from airports and roads to digital connectivity and visitor services. The investment fund earmarked for Aleppo’s airport, for example, is designed not only to repair war damage but to expand capacity, modernize terminals and improve ground access, making it feasible to handle millions of travelers annually.
At Damascus International Airport, the steady return of regional carriers has already prompted improvements in passenger handling, security screening and air traffic control systems. Further enhancements are expected as traffic grows, especially once Flynas Syria begins operations and other airlines respond with their own capacity increases. Efficient processing on arrival will be essential to ensuring that first impressions match the narrative of a country that is reopening and ready to host.
Behind the scenes, telecommunications investments such as the SilkLink project, led by a Saudi consortium, will make a considerable difference to tourism, even if they are not branded as such. More reliable and higher speed internet across Syria will enable everything from online hotel bookings and digital marketing by small tour operators to real time safety updates and mobile navigation for independent travelers.
Urban infrastructure in key tourist cities is also slated for attention. Municipal plans prioritize repairing historic districts, upgrading water and power networks, and improving public spaces that serve both residents and visitors. Combined with targeted training programs for hospitality workers and guides, these physical projects aim to raise service standards to a level that can compete with established regional destinations.
Balancing Opportunity with Responsibility
The prospect of Flynas Syria driving a tourism revival inevitably raises questions about sustainability and ethics. Syria is emerging from a deep trauma, and many communities are still rebuilding homes, schools and clinics. Opening historic neighborhoods or rural landscapes to large numbers of visitors without proper planning risks overburdening fragile infrastructures and sparking local resentment.
Syria’s interim authorities, together with Saudi and other regional partners, will need to calibrate growth carefully. That means enforcing carrying capacity limits at vulnerable heritage sites, investing in conservation before mass marketing, and channeling a share of tourism revenues into local development. It also involves encouraging longer stays and more meaningful engagement rather than quick, superficial visits that concentrate spending in a few hotels or tour companies.
For travelers, responsible tourism in Syria will require awareness and humility. Choosing locally owned accommodation and guides, respecting security advisories, and approaching recent history with sensitivity will be crucial components of any trip. Industry players such as Flynas Syria can help by partnering with vetted tour operators, supporting guide training programs and promoting codes of conduct in their marketing materials.
If managed well, tourism can be more than a revenue stream. It can create jobs for young people who might otherwise leave, incentivize the preservation of traditional crafts and architecture, and foster dialogue between Syrians and visitors who have only known the country through news headlines. That potential makes the stakes surrounding Flynas Syria’s launch particularly high.
A New Chapter in Syria’s Travel Story
The emergence of Flynas Syria, backed by Saudi investment and built on flynas’ early return to Damascus and Jeddah routes, signals a new chapter in the region’s aviation and tourism landscape. After more than a decade in which Syria was largely cut off from regular leisure travel, the pieces are gradually falling into place for a controlled, carefully managed reopening to visitors.
Air connectivity is at the heart of this transformation. As more direct flights appear on booking engines and travel agents’ screens, Syria shifts from an abstract idea to a practical option for regional travelers curious about its cities, coast and countryside. The new carrier promises to make that option more affordable and flexible, which is particularly important for diaspora families, small business owners and young travelers from the Gulf.
The country’s future as a destination will depend not only on aircraft and runways but on the resilience and creativity of Syrians themselves as they revitalize neighborhoods, restore monuments and reopen restaurants, guesthouses and cultural venues. Flynas Syria will, in many ways, be the visible wing of that ground level effort, carrying in the first waves of visitors who will test the new Syria tourism experience.
For now, the message from Damascus, Aleppo and Latakia is one of cautious optimism. After years in which tourism seemed like a distant memory, the roar of engines at newly busy airports and the arrival of low cost carriers like Flynas Syria suggest that the country’s hidden treasures are, once again, preparing to meet the world.