Jordan’s state carrier to resume flights to Syria for first time in decade

Amman, September 29 (BNA): The state-run Jordanian airline, Royal Jordanian, will soon resume its direct flights to Damascus for the first time in nearly a decade, in the latest step to restore extensive trade relations with Syria, which was damaged by the conflict in the latter. government officials said on Tuesday.
Flights have been suspended since the start of the decade-long conflict in Syria, although other airlines have continued to fly to Amman from Damascus.
Noting that the government’s announcement was premature, Royal Jordanian said later on Tuesday that October 3 is the date for the resumption of flights announced by the government, which is still awaiting final approvals. The airline said it plans to serve passengers from Amman to Damascus Airport by land, according to Reuters.

The decision to resume flights was among several decisions taken by a two-day ministerial meeting that concluded on Tuesday in Amman to strengthen bilateral trade, investment and transport relations.

Jordan is fully reopening its main border crossing with Syria from Wednesday after imposing restrictions linked to the pandemic.

Before the conflict in Syria, the Nassib Jaber crossing was a transit route for hundreds of trucks a day, transporting billions of dollars worth of goods between Europe, Turkey and the Gulf.

Although the Jaber crossing has been open since 2018 after the Syrian government expelled the rebels from southern Syria, bilateral trade has yet to recover to the pre-war level of $1 billion.

The kingdom hopes that cross-border trade and renewed transport links will help boost its debt-laden economy, which was hit by a severe economic downturn last year amid the pandemic.

“This is an important step to facilitate the flow of goods between the two countries, Lebanon and the Gulf,” said Dhaifallah Abu Oqla, head of the country’s union of customs clearance companies.

Officials said Jordan, a staunch US ally that supports opposition fighters fighting against the rule of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has pushed for rapprochement with Damascus in recent months.

Jordanian businessmen have largely avoided doing business with Syria after the 2019 Caesar Act – the toughest US sanctions to date that ban foreign companies from doing business with Damascus.

Jordanian officials say they have put pressure on Washington to ease some tough sanctions on business dealings with Syria to help revive business with a major trading neighbour.

Jordan also said it hoped Washington would allow Syria to benefit from a plan to supply Lebanon with Egyptian gas via an Arab pipeline running through its territory to ease the electricity crisis.

Syria, which blames crippling Western sanctions for the plight of its economy, hopes that broader trade ties with its southern neighbor will help it recover from the devastating impact of the conflict and bring in much-needed foreign exchange.

HF