Syrian Air
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Founded | 1946 Damascus, Syria | as Syrian Airways ||||||
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Commenced operations | June 1947 | ||||||
Operating bases | Aleppo International Airport | ||||||
Hubs | |||||||
Focus cities | Qamishli Airport | ||||||
Frequent-flyer program | SyrianAir Frequent Flyer | ||||||
Alliance |
Arabesk Airline Alliance[1]
| ||||||
Fleet size | CEO) | ||||||
Employees | 5325 (2010) | ||||||
Website | syriaair |
Syrian Airlines (
History
Early years: Syrian Airways 1946–1958
Syrian Airways were established in 1946, with two propeller aircraft and started to fly between domestic network such as
Syrian Airways also operated a regional network, with flights to Beirut, Baghdad, Jerusalem, Amman; followed by Cairo, Kuwait, Doha and Jeddah.[4] The airline expanded during the next years to include Beirut, Baghdad, and Jerusalem, then Cairo, Kuwait and Doha, in addition to flights during the hajj.[4]
Financial difficulties and the 1948 Arab–Israeli War led to the withdrawal of PAA and caused the suspension of service until mid-1951.[4] The operation was resumed after receiving government support in 1952. In 1952, the airline was provided with three Douglas DC-3s and with four Douglas DC-4s in 1954, and in 1957 it received four Douglas DC-6s in the name of United Arab Airline.[4]
On December 21, 1953, one of the airline's Douglas planes crashed near Damascus killing all nine aboard. The airline's operating permit was cancelled following the crash. The airline was allowed to fly again in 1954. The D-18s had been returned to the Syrian Air Force in 1949, while four additional Dakotas were acquired between 1952 and 1956.[4]
One of the older Dakotas (YK-AAE) crashed during its climb out of Aleppo's Nayrab Airport on February 24, 1956, during a heavy storm. The 19 people on board died in the airline's worst accident to date. Newer and stronger planes were consequently added to the fleet in the mid-fifties: two Douglas DC-4/
Merger with Misrair: United Arab Airlines 1958–1961
In February 1958, Syria and
During the UAA interlude, only regional and domestic routes were operated in Syria, flights further afield connected at the Cairo hub. Two planes inherited from Syrian Airways were written off between 1959 and 1961: the Douglas DC-4-1009 which was ditched in the Congo River as it was carrying cargo from Accra to Leopoldville on September 1, 1960, and a Dakota which crashed on its final approach of Qamishli on a domestic flight from Aleppo on May 6, 1961. Fortunately, there were no fatalities in either accident.[8]
The union between Egypt and Syria ended on September 26, 1961, amidst tensions between the leaderships of the two provinces of the UAR.
Rebirth of a national flag carrier: Syrian Arab Airlines 1961–1969
Syrian Arab Airlines (S.A.A.L.) were founded in October 1961 in order to take over UAA's operations in Syria and to become the new national airline.[11] The fleet initially consisted of three Douglas C-47 Dakotas, two Douglas C-54 Skymasters, two Douglas DC-6Bs and one Douglas DC-6B freighter (later sold to LAC Colombia). Domestic and regional flights were promptly resumed and the fleet originally was painted in a green livery reminiscent of that of the Syrian Airways colors.[11]
S.A.A.L. purchased a third DC-6B from SAS in November 1962. Flights to European destinations (Rome and Munich) were started in 1963, followed by flights to London and Paris (Le Bourget), Karachi and Delhi in 1964.[11] A new livery was introduced then, with alternating dark blue and red stripes for the cheatline.[4]
Syrian Arab Airlines became a founding member of the Arab Air Carriers' Organization (AACO) and entered the jet age in 1965, with the purchase of two Sud Aviation 210 Super- Caravelle 10B3s.[12]
In 1966, Syrian Arab Airlines used the Caravelles on flights to Europe (London, Paris, Munich, Rome, Athens and Nicosia) as well as high density Middle Eastern routes (Baghdad, Teheran, Jeddah, Kuwait, Doha, Sharjah) and on flights to South Asia (Karachi and Delhi).[4]
Routings were as follows: Eastbound and Lebanon: Damascus-Aleppo-Beirut (DC3) 3 times a week, Aleppo-Beirut (by MEA/pool partnership Viscount) 2X, Damascus-Beirut (DC4 for RB and Viscount for ME) twice daily, Damascus-Jerusalem (DC3 and DC4) 2X, Damascus-Baghdad-Teheran (DC6 and Caravelle) 2X, Damascus-Jeddah (Caravelle) 1X, Damascus-Kuwait (2XCRV, 1XDC6) 3X, Damascus-Bahrain (DC6) 1X, Damascus-Doha-Sharjah (DC6) 1X, Damascus-Doha-Sharjah-Karachi-Delhi (Caravelle) 1X, Damascus-Dhahran-Sharjah-Karachi (Caravelle) 1X. Westbound: Damascus-Athens-Rome-Munich-London (Caravelle) 1X, Damascus-Istanbul-Prague-Luxembourg (DC6) 1X, Damascus-Nicosia (DC4) 1X, Damascus-Athens-Munich-Paris-London (Caravelle) 1X, Damascus-Aleppo-Istanbul-Luxembourg (DC6) 1X, Damascus-Nicosia-Rome-Paris-London (Caravelle) 1X. Domestic: Damascus-Latakia (DC3)X5, Damascus-Palmyra-Deirezzor (DC4)X3, Damascus-Deirezzor-Aleppo (DC3)2X, Damascus-Deirezzor (DC3) 1X, Damascus-Aleppo-Qamishli (DC3X2, DC4X4) X6, Damascus-Aleppo (DC3)X5 (including the flights continuing to Beirut).
Luxembourg was a rare destination for carriers in the Middle East in the 1960s; in addition to cargo, SAAL flights could be linked to
In 1967, S.A.A.L. joined
The Six-Day War disrupted S.A.A.L's operations for several weeks in 1967 and the airline had to suspend its flights to Jerusalem. Beyond these immediate consequences on the airline, Syria's military defeat in 1967 left the whole country in a state of shock and had a decisive impact on the evolution of its political system for years to come.[14] Nevertheless, S.A.A.L's operations were gradually restored and a normal level of operation was recovered by 1968 as shown in the timetable below. The fleet consisted then of two Super Caravelles and three DC-6Bs.
Syrian Air takes off: 1970–1980
With the beginning of the seventies, S.A.A.L continued its steady development with introducing flights to Moscow in 1970 and purchasing another two Super Caravelles from Sterling Airways in June 1971.[4]
Frequencies were increased, flights to Jeddah were resumed the same year while new flights were launched to Abu Dhabi, Benghazi and Budapest.[4] Flights were disrupted for several weeks during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, following which Syrian sovereignty was restored in parts of the Golan Heights.[15]
A new airport, the Damascus International Airport, was built 25 km south-east of the capital and was opened to traffic in 1973 to become S.A.A.L's modern hub, replacing the old Mezze structure inherited from the French mandate.[16]
A climate of confidence, pragmatism and political stability was nevertheless in sight in Syria after decades of volatile politics and coups d'état. Ambitious development programs were launched throughout the country.[17]
Syrian Arab Airlines was among the government's priorities as a new modernization and expansion program was launched. A new S.A.A.L. livery was introduced in 1973, featuring the airline's new logo, a mythical bird rising over a Mediterranean-blue disk.[4]
Closer economic and political ties with the
In parallel to that, S.A.A.L. was managing an increasing number of Soviet-built aircraft for the Syrian government and the Syrian Air Force. That fleet was gradually expanded to include two
These aircraft were not used by the airline for scheduled services except for some of the Yak-40s which replaced the Douglas DC-6B and the Caravelles on domestic routes by the early eighties. In 1974, two Boeing 707s were leased in from British Airtours in order to complement the Caravelle fleet.[4] That year, the airline carried 279,866 passengers.
A fleet renewal program was launched in 1975 as S.A.A.L. ordered three brand-new
The SyrianAir acronym was officially adopted on November 11, 1975, in anticipation of the delivery of the new Boeing fleet and in order to generate a more modern and international image. However, SyrianAir's official and legal title continued to be Syrian Arab Airlines.[4]
The Boeing 727s supplemented the Caravelles throughout the network, while the Boeing 747SPs were used on high load international routes (
The two jumbo jets were ordered in 1976 with the intention of operating transatlantic services to
During the seventies, SyrianAair managed to acquire a modern fleet, revamp its image and operate a profitable passenger network on three continents largely satisfying the needs of the Syrian market. Its fares were accessible and attracted budget travellers flying between Europe and South Asia. The climate of stability and economic prosperity in Syria had a determining influence on the positive results of the airline. The eighties brought about new challenges to both, Syria and its airline.
Mixed fortunes, mixed-fleet carrier 1980–1993
SyrianAir welcomed the eighties with an active fleet of three Boeing 727s, two Boeing 747SPs, and two ageing Super Caravelles.[4] In 1980, SyrianAir sold two of its ageing Caravelles as plans were made for the acquisition of newer aircraft. In 1981, the airline carried 510,000 passengers, but these numbers declined to 462,000 in 1982 following the unrest caused by Israel's invasion of nearby Lebanon. The Yakovlev Yak 40s devoted to internal routes were mostly flown on behalf of the Syrian Air Force.[4]
While there was an obvious need to renew the fleet and to increase the airline's capacity, mounting tensions between Syria and the West hampered the airline's modernization plans.
These tensions ultimately resulted in economic sanctions voted by the
SyrianAir had ultimately to resort to Soviet-built aircraft in order to expand its fleet.
In 1986, SyrianAir had to suspend flights to one of its long-standing and most important destinations, London, because of a diplomatic crisis between the UK and Syria following the Hindawi affair.[22] The number of passengers carried by SyrianAir declined to 353,355 in 1988, the lowest since the mid-seventies, forcing the airline towards more reform. The workforce was reduced by 1.5% to 3,526 in 1989, the number of passengers carried that year increased to 509,659. The workforce was increased to 3,615 in 1990, and the number of passengers increased to 655,644, a record despite the war in Kuwait, and the airline was able to finish the year without losses.
While sanctions and harsh economics kept it lagging way behind its competitors, and while the demise of the Soviet Union cast doubts on the future of its Tupolev fleet, SyrianAir's fortunes changed following the Gulf War in 1990. As Syria supported the U.S.-led coalition against the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, it regained some of its long lost sympathy in Western hearts. Flights to London were resumed in 1991, and passenger numbers continued to increase to 700,819.[4] The long-standing U.S. sanctions were eased in 1993, allowing the acquisition of modern Western equipment.
Renewal and modernization 1994–present
In 1994, Kuwait donated to Syria three Boeing 727-269s which enabled SyrianAir to finally phase out the two Caravelles in December of the following year.
By 1998, the Tupolev Tu-134 were restricted to the
In 2000, SyrianAir operated a fleet of 14 aircraft: six Airbus A320s, six Boeing 727s and two Boeing 747SPs, while it continued to use the Syrian Air Force
With a workforce exceeding 4,000 employees, SyrianAir, which revenues nevertheless exceeded 171 million dollars in 2003, remains over-staffed. In 2004, and despite a difficult regional situation and U.S. sanctions, the airline improved its performance, carrying 1.07 million passengers.[4] Syrian air carried close to 1.4 million passengers by 2005, however, the number of passengers being carried declined to less than 740,000 passengers by 2009.
Plans were made for the renewal of the fleet with the possible acquisition of several new Airbus aircraft in order to replace the ageing Boeing 727 and 747s.
By 2012, Syrian Air had retired all its old Boeing 747, 727 and Tupolev aircraft, leaving SyrianAir with just 8 aircraft in its fleet - 2 ATRs and 6 Airbus A320s. In 2017, the company acquired an Airbus A340-300 (YK-AZA, YK-AZB) despite sanctions.[26]
On 9 January 2020, Syrian President
EU and US sanctions
On 23 July 2012, as the
On 10 October 2012, a Syrian Air flight in Turkish airspace was flanked by two fighter jets and forced to land in the country. It was believed the plane was carrying a Russian shipment to the Syrian military. Turkey's then-Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said that Turkey had "received information this plane was carrying cargo of a nature that could not possibly be in compliance with the rules of civil aviation." Russian news agency Interfax cited an unnamed source from a Russian arms exporting agency who stated that there were no weapons or military equipment on board the plane.[29]
Syrian Air had codeshare agreements with the following airlines (as of April 2022):
Destinations
SyrianAir operates the following services (as of 1 June 2023):[31]
Fleet
Current fleet
As of January 2023, the Syrian Air fleet comprises the following aircraft:[33][34]
Aircraft | In service | Orders | Passengers | Notes/sources | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | Y | Total | ||||
Airbus A320-200 | 8 | – | 16 | 130 | 156 | YK-AKA, YK-AKB, YK-AKC, YK-AKD, YK-AKE, YK-AKF, YK-AKG & YK-AKH |
Airbus A340-300
|
2 | — | 20 | 223 | 243 | YK-AZA & YK-AZB |
ATR 72-500
|
2 | — | 66 | 66 | YK-AVA & YK-AVB | |
Total | 12 |
Government and VIP fleet
The airline operates some Dassault Falcon 20, Dassault Falcon 900 and Tupolev Tu-134 for government VIP charters, as well as Ilyushin Il-76 military cargo aircraft, all of which are painted in Syrian Air livery.[23]
Aircraft | In service | Orders | Passengers | Notes/sources | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | Y | Total | ||||
Dassault Falcon 20 | 2 | — | 14 | — | 14 | Mystère 20F variant. YK-ASA and YK-ASB registration |
Dassault Falcon 900 | 1 | — | 19 | — | 19 | YK-ASC registration |
Yakovlev Yak-40 | 1 | — | 32 | — | 32 | YK-SQF registration |
Ilyushin Il-76 | 4 | — | Cargo | YK-ATA, YK-ATB, YK-ATD, YK-ATF registration | ||
Tupolev Tu-134 | 3 | — | — | 80 | 80 | YK-AYB, YK-AYE, YK-AYF registration |
Total | 11 | — |
Fleet development
The company cannot purchase any new
In November 2018, it was reported the airline is evaluating placing an order for 15-20
Historical fleet
The airline fleet previously included the following aircraft:[36]
- Airbus A300-600
- Antonov An-24
- Antonov An-26
- Beech D-18
- Boeing 707-320
- Boeing 707-400
- Boeing 727-200
- Boeing 747SP[37][38]
- Douglas DC-3
- Douglas DC-4
- Douglas DC-6
- Douglas DC-6B
- Douglas DC-8-60
- Douglas C-54 Skymaster[39]
- Sud Aviation Caravelle
- Tupolev Tu-154
- Yakovlev Yak-40
Accidents and incidents
- On 7 April 1963, a Douglas DC-6, YK-AEB, lost control and crashed during take-off from Hamah Airport. One passenger from the 26 died when the plane burst into flames, the remaining 25 passengers and 4 crew members survived.[40]
- On 2 October 1964, a Douglas C-54 Skymaster, YK-ADA, encountered difficulties in stopping within the remaining distance at Damascus International Airport, overran and lost its nose gear before coming to rest. There were no injuries but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.[41]
- On 6 February 1967, a Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3), YK-ACB, struck a building, stalled and crashed a few hundreds yards from the runway while on approach to Aleppo-Nejrab Airport after encountering severe weather in low visibility. 8 occupants were killed and 11 were injured. The crew descended below the glide on approach.[42][43]
- On 20 September 2012, Syrian Air flight RB 501 from Damascus to Latakia, operated by an Airbus A320-200, collided in mid air with a military helicopter during the climb. The airliner returned to Damascus for a safe landing. Approximately half of the vertical stabilizer was broken off the A320. The helicopter crashed killing all three flight crew.[44]
References
- ^ "AACO | Member Airlines". AACO: Arab Air Carriers Organization - الإتحاد العربي للنقل الجوي. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
- ^ "Syrian Arab Airlines". ABUDHABI AIRPORT. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
- ^ "World Airline Directory." Flight International. March 24–30, 1993. 125. "Social Insurance Building, 5th Floor, Jabri Street, Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic."
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak "Syrian Airlines History". syriaair.com. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
- ISBN 978-0-7864-0495-7.
- ^ Guttery (1998), p. 55.
- ^ Flight International. 28 April 1938. p. 416 (Archive). "MISR AIRWORK, S.A.E., Almaza Aerodrome, Heliopolis."
- ^ "World airline survey—United Arab Airlines – UAA". Flight International. Vol. 83, no. 2822. 11 April 1963. p. 546. Archived from the original on 8 December 2013.
- ISBN 9781902210209.
- ISBN 0-14-021687-1.
- ^ a b c d "World airline survey—Syrian Arab Airways". Flight International. Vol. 83, no. 2822. 11 April 1963. p. 542. Archived from the original on 7 December 2013.
- ISBN 978-1-4422-5018-5.
- ISBN 978-3-95549-854-2.
- ISBN 978-0-8265-1329-8.
- ^ The Middle East and North Africa 2003, Occupied Territories, The Golan Heights, page 604.
- ^ "New Damascus International Airport". centreforaviation.com. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
- ^ . entry=The Economy.
- ^ Iran and Syria Archived 14 October 2015 at the Wayback Machine Jubin Goodarzi
- ^ Goodarzi, Jubin M. (8 February 2013). "Syria and Iran: Alliance Cooperation in a Changing Regional Environment" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2013. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ "Purchasing Power Parity Converted GDP per Capita (Chain Series) for Syria". Purchasing Power Parity Converted GDP Per Capita (Chain Series) for Syria. FRED Economic Data: Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis. January 1960. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
- ^ "State Sponsor: Syria". Council on Foreign Relations.
- ^ Karen DeYoung (1985-10-25). "Britain Cuts Ties With Syria Over El Al Bombing Links". Washington Post. Retrieved 2022-01-03.
- ^ a b c d e "Syrian Air fleet". airliners.net. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ^ "Russe, syrienne d'accord sur le plan des entreprises de livraison à la Syrie". Champress. 23 June 2006.
- ^ a b "SyrianAir Antonove 148 and 158: A New Fleet and a New Prospect" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2016-09-30.
- ^ "Syrian Arab Airlines introduces A340". Flightglobal. 2017-04-13. Retrieved 2017-06-18.
- ^ "الرئيس الأسد يحذف صفة 'العربية' من مؤسسة الطيران". alalamtv.net (in Arabic). 16 January 2020.
- ^ Gardner, Andrew (2012-07-23). "EU tightens sanctions on Syria". European Voice. Archived from the original on 2013-06-08. Retrieved 2013-02-22.
- ^ Salloum, Raniah (2012-10-11). "Dangerous Cargo from Moscow: Syrian Jet Incident Ups Turkish-Russian Tensions". Spiegel Online. Retrieved 2017-12-27.
- ^ "Conviasa, Syrian Arab Airlines Sign Code-Share Agreement". Aviationweek.com. Retrieved April 11, 2007.
- ^ Our destinations
- ^ Liu, Jim (12 November 2018). "Cham Wings W18 Damascus – Moscow service changes". Routesonline. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
- ^ "SyrianAir fleet". planespotters.net. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
- ^ "Fleet – Syrian Airlines". Retrieved 2020-08-01.
- ^ "Syrianair mulls order for 15-20 MC-21-300s". ch-aviation.com. Retrieved 2018-11-19.
- ^ "Syrian Arab Airlines Historical Fleet". Planespotters.net. Retrieved 2023-01-12.
- ^ "YK-AHA". Flickr - Photo Sharing!. 26 November 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
- ^ "Aircraft YK-AHB (1976 Boeing 747SP-94 C/N 21175) Photo by Odai Ayyad (Photo ID: AC1072359)". Retrieved 24 April 2016.
- ISBN 0-907178-37-5.
- ^ Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Douglas DC-6B YK-AEB Hamah". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved Jul 1, 2020.
- ^ Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Douglas C-54A-DO (DC-4) YK-ADA Damascus International Airport (DAM)". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved Jul 1, 2020.
- ^ Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Douglas C-47B-40-DK (DC-3) YK-ACB Aleppo-Nejrab Airport (ALP)". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved Jul 1, 2020.
- ^ "Crash of a Douglas C-47B-40-DK in Aleppo: 8 killed | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives". baaa-acro.com. Retrieved Jul 1, 2020.
- ^ "Accident: Syrian Arab A320 near Damascus on Sep 20th 2012, mid air collision with helicopter". Avherald.com. Retrieved 2012-10-22.
Further reading
- Lane, Edwin. "Syrian flag carrier struggles to keep flying." BBC. 10 February 2011.
External links
Media related to Syrian Air at Wikimedia Commons
- Syrian Airlines
- Syrian Airlines (in Arabic)