Historic Achievement: SunExpress Initiates First Flights to Aleppo, Bridging Syria with the Global Community
In a significant breakthrough for Middle Eastern tourism and aviation, the Turkish-German carrier SunExpress — a collaborative venture of Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa — landed at Aleppo International Airport on August 1, 2026. This marked the initiation of the first regular commercial air service between Antalya, Turkey, and Aleppo, Syria.
This noteworthy launch witnessed three international airlines introducing new Aleppo routes on the same day. These included SunExpress from Antalya, the Saudi Arabian carrier flynas from Riyadh, and Germany’s LEAV Aviation from Düsseldorf. Omar Al-Husari, the President of the Syrian Civil Aviation and Air Transport Authority, termed this as “a reflection of the accelerating recovery of Syria’s civil aviation sector and the airport’s resurgence as a regional air transport hub.”
SunExpress has planned to operate the Antalya–Aleppo route twice a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The service will use Boeing 737-800 aircraft (Flight XQ206 departing Antalya at 08:20 and arriving in Aleppo at 09:50). The Izmir–Aleppo service was launched on August 2. The Syrian Civil Aviation Authority emphasized that the route is a part of wider efforts to expand Syria’s air network. This is aimed at supporting both tourism and economic recovery after enduring years of conflict.
Currently, over a dozen airlines are serving Aleppo, primarily from various destinations across the Middle East. The Romanian carrier Dan Air had already created history by becoming the first European airline to fly to the Syrian city from Bucharest in July 2026. Additionally, Syrian Airlines resumed its direct Amsterdam–Damascus service on July 2.
Source: Air Service One – New Route of the Day: SunExpress between Antalya and Aleppo