ISTANBUL- Turkish Airlines (TK) has confirmed the resumption of flights to Damascus (DAM), Beirut (BEY), and Amman (AMM) effective May 1, 2026. The carrier posted the updated schedule on its official website, marking the return of service to all three Middle Eastern capitals.
The routes had remained suspended since February 28, when coordinated U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iran triggered widespread airspace closures across the region.
At least eight countries, including Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the UAE, shut their airspace that day, forcing Turkish Airlines and several other international carriers to ground flights across multiple destinations.
Turkish Airlines Resumes Flights to Damascus
Turkish Airlines (TK) initially cancelled flights to Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Jordan through early March.
The airline also halted operations on the same day to Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE, and Oman. Syrian aviation authorities had separately closed the country’s southern air corridors on February 28, further restricting access to Damascus (DAM).
The scope of the disruption extended well beyond Turkish Airlines. Multiple global carriers suspended Middle East operations during the same period. KLM halted flights to Dubai, Riyadh, and Dammam.
The Lufthansa Group suspended services to Dubai, Tel Aviv, Abu Dhabi, Amman, Beirut, and several Saudi cities. British Airways cancelled flights to Doha, Amman, Bahrain, Dubai, and Tel Aviv.
Pegasus Airlines, another Turkish carrier, cancelled its Iran, Iraq, Amman, Beirut, Kuwait, Bahrain, Doha, and the Gulf states until June 1.
Turkish Airlines extended a flexible travel policy for passengers booked on flights between February 28 and May 31, allowing free rebooking with ticket validity extended until July 10, aa.com reported.
Damascus Route Holds Strategic Significance
The Damascus (DAM) route carries particular weight for Turkish Airlines (TK). The carrier only relaunched service to Syria’s capital in January 2025, following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024.
Turkish Airlines became one of the first major international airlines to serve Damascus after the regime change, operating three weekly flights from Istanbul (IST).
The first flight on the reinstated Istanbul (IST) to Damascus (DAM) route, operating as TK846, used a Boeing 777-300 and became the most-tracked aircraft globally on Flightradar24 during its journey. The airline later transitioned the route to Airbus A330-200 operations for its twice-weekly schedule.
Royal Jordanian also reinstated Amman (AMM) to Damascus (DAM) flights in January 2025, initially operating four times weekly with plans to increase frequency to daily service.
Broader Recovery Across the Region
The Turkish Airlines resumption aligns with a wider pattern of airlines gradually restoring Middle East services.
Qatar Airways plans to expand its network to over 150 destinations from mid-June, including resumed services to Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Bahrain, Kuwait, Baghdad, and Damascus. Oman Air has already resumed some routes, with flights to Dubai and Bahrain restarting in April.
However, several carriers maintain extended suspensions. The Lufthansa Group will not resume flights to Abu Dhabi, Amman, Beirut, Dammam, Riyadh, Erbil, Muscat, and Tehran until October 2026.
Air France has suspended Tel Aviv, Beirut, Dubai, and Riyadh flights. British Airways will not serve Abu Dhabi until late October.
The May 1 restart by Turkish Airlines signals growing confidence in the stability of regional airspace, though full recovery across the Middle East aviation network remains months away for many carriers.
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