The Syrian Civil Aviation Authority has announced a temporary closure of all southern air routes and suspended flight operations at Damascus International Airport for a 12-hour period. This move follows a sudden escalation in regional military tensions.
The decision was prompted by an Iranian missile attack on Israel on Sunday night, which led several Middle Eastern countries, including neighboring Iraq, to impose precautionary airspace restrictions.
The civil aviation authority stated that the southern airspace closure began at 11:00 pm local time on Sunday and will remain in effect until 11:00 am on Monday. These measures were taken in response to “recent regional developments” and followed safety and technical assessments conducted by Syria’s specialized risk management committee.
The main goal of the shutdown is to safeguard civil aviation and commercial flights, adhering to international aviation safety standards.
The closure has effectively suspended all operations at Damascus International Airport, stranding hundreds of passengers and forcing international airlines to reroute flights away from the Eastern Mediterranean and Levant air corridors.
Similar disruptions have occurred in Iraq, where authorities ordered a 72-hour closure of national airspace due to comparable security concerns. Meanwhile, Iran has also restricted flights over its western regions as regional powers prepare for possible retaliatory actions.
