DUBAI, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Emirates airline, the flagship carrier of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has resumed flights to the Syrian capital Damascus after a nearly 13-year suspension, Emirates said Thursday in a press release.
Flight EK913 landed at Damascus International Airport on Wednesday with 286 passengers onboard and was greeted with a water cannon salute, it said, adding that a high-level UAE delegation joined the inaugural flight alongside Emirates executives and senior officials.
Emirates will initially operate three weekly flights to Damascus, increasing to daily service from late October, it noted. The route is served by a Boeing 777-200LR, offering both Business and Economy Class cabins.
The airline suspended its Damascus service in late 2012 due to the deteriorating security situation following the outbreak of the Syrian crisis.
In early June, the Dubai-based budget carrier Flydubai also resumed direct commercial flights between the UAE and Syria after more than a decade of suspension. ■
