Syria Blocks Turkey’s AJet Flights Over Reciprocal Access

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Syrian authorities have withdrawn approval for Türkiye’s low-cost carrier AJet to operate flights between Istanbul Sabiha Gökcen and Damascus, just days before the inaugural service was scheduled for April 21, 2025. According to the Middle East Eye, the cancellation is tied to Syria’s demand for reciprocal access for its airlines into Türkiye.

Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 confirms that the April 21 and April 25 flights were cancelled. AJet has not responded to media inquiries regarding the development.

Syrian officials reportedly insisted that either state-owned Syrianair or privately-owned Cham Wings Airlines be granted traffic rights to Türkiye in return for allowing AJet’s operations. However, sources within Türkiye’s Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure indicated that such access is unlikely, citing non-compliance with Turkish safety standards and U.S. sanctions on Syrian carriers.

“If they can lease aircraft with proper certifications not subject to U.S. sanctions, we are open to permitting their flights,” a ministry official stated.

Syrianair currently operates two aging Airbus A320-200s, both over 24 years old, while Cham Wings Airlines flies five A320-200s averaging 27 years in age. Both airlines remain on the U.S. sanctions list due to ties with Syria’s former president Bashar al-Assad, deposed in December 2024. Although the EU lifted sanctions on Syrianair in February 2025, Cham Wings remains blacklisted.

Despite the block on AJet, parent company Turkish Airlines continues to operate daily flights between Istanbul Airport and Damascus, using a mix of narrowbody and widebody aircraft on the route.

Related News: https://airguide.info/category/air-travel-business/airline-finance/

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ch-aviation.com

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