Active Syria Airspace restriction / airport disruption

ICAO Withdraws 13-Year-Old Safety Warning on Syrian Airspace, Damascus Says

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has withdrawn a 13-year-old safety advisory regarding Syrian airspace, Syria's civil aviation authority announced. The decision allows international airlines and national regulators to reassess overflights and services to Syrian airports based on updated risk assessments. Syrian officials noted that the move does not automatically remove operational restrictions imposed independently by specific countries.

Published October 26, 2026 Source: Anadolu Ajansı

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Affected country: Syria
Location / route: Damascus Flight Information Region (OSTT)
Official source: Google News — Middle East travel disruption
Published by source: October 26, 2026 7:37 PM CST
Effective period: October 23, 2026 12:00 AM CST
Last verified: October 26, 2026 10:14 PM CST
Status: Active

Official guidance

ICAO has withdrawn its 2013 safety warning on Syrian airspace, shifting assessments to updated international standards. Airlines and civil aviation authorities may re-evaluate overflight and route planning, though individual national regulator restrictions remain independently determined.

Summary of official information. Always check the official source and follow the guidance of the authorities. UECN does not issue risk ratings; the absence of an alert does not mean that a destination is safe.

Illustration

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has withdrawn a safety warning concerning Syrian airspace that had been in effect for more than 13 years, Anadolu Agency reported, citing Syrian civil aviation officials. The original warning, issued on March 22, 2013, addressed civilian flight safety within the Damascus Flight Information Region.

Omar al-Hosari, head of Syria's General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport, told the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) that ICAO confirmed the 2013 advisory will no longer serve as a baseline for operational decisions. Instead, future assessments will follow updated international aviation safety and security standards.

Al-Hosari described the move as an important step toward reintegrating Syrian airspace into the international civil aviation network. He noted the change allows civil aviation authorities and carriers to review flight paths crossing Syrian airspace as well as flights arriving at and departing from Syrian airports, potentially increasing overflight traffic and encouraging commercial airlines to resume operations.

However, the Syrian authority emphasized that the withdrawal does not automatically lift operational bans or restrictions imposed by individual governments or national regulators. Technical and diplomatic discussions will continue with foreign regulators and ICAO to address remaining restrictions, while agencies such as the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) maintain their own separate conflict-zone bulletins.