RIYADH — A Syrian Airlines flight arrived at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh for the first time in more than 10 years, signaling the return of regular flights between Syria and Saudi Arabia. The Riyadh Airports Company celebrated the occasion at the airport in the presence of Ayman Soussan, the Syrian ambassador to Saudi Arabia, and a number of Saudi officials in the field of air transport. Soussan stressed that this event represents good news for Syrians and Saudis alike as it spares them the trouble of indirect travel. He pointed out that the return of regular flights between Syria and Saudi Arabia is an additional step in the steady development witnessed by relations between the two countries. The French Press Agency quoted Ambassador Soussan as saying that the Syrian Airlines plane arrived at 6:30 am on Wednesday, Riyadh time, with 170 Syrian passengers on board, adding that the two countries agreed to operate one round-trip flight per week between Riyadh and Damascus. This comes a few weeks after the arrival of the first flight carrying pilgrims from Damascus to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, the gateway to the holy city of Makkah, for the first time in more than 12 years. The Director of Media Office at the Syrian Ministry of Transport, Suleiman Khalil, said, "The possibility of increasing Saudi destinations for Syrian Airlines includes Jeddah and Dammam airports, according to demand and needs of the market."
