DAMASCUS, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- A passenger plane of Air Algerie touched down at Syria's Latakia International Airport on Thursday evening, marking the revival of air travel between Algeria and Syria after a hiatus of more than a decade.
Onboard the flight was the Director-General of Air Algerie Yassin Bin Salman, who was accompanied by a high-level Algerian delegation, reported the Syrian state news agency SANA.
The delegation was received by Latakia Governor Amer Ismael Hilal, who underscored the supportive role played by Algeria in aiding Syria, particularly after the February earthquake.
Algerian Ambassador to Damascus Kamal Boushama highlighted the close bond between Algeria and Syria, expressing the hope that this flight would pave the way for increasing cooperation in the future.
Abdelghani Dridi, chief of the office at the Algerian Ministry of Transport and a member of the Algerian delegation, described the resumption of air travel between the two nations as "a catalyst for further collaboration and mutual understanding."
Even though air travel between Syria and Algeria was suspended for more than 10 years, their diplomatic ties have remained stable despite the boycott of the Syrian government by several Arab nations. ■
