Airlines allowed to resume use of Syrian airspace

AMMAN — The Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission (CARC) on Monday granted Jordanian airlines permission to fly in Syrian airspace, seven years after banning the use of the airspace in 2012. 

In a statement carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, the CARC stipulated that airline companies wishing to fly in Syrian airspace must present an evaluation study of flight risk, use a specified air route and altitude and take necessary precautions to ensure that safety is maximised. 

The CARC added that it is still evaluating the conditions of Syrian airports, especially the Damascus International Airport. 

In January, the CARC sent a technical delegation that employed international standards of evaluation to assess the risks associated with flying in Syrian airspace, according to Petra. 

In 2012, Royal Jordanian (RJ) halted flights over Syria, and re-routed its flights and operations from Amman to Beirut, causing the airline to incur losses of JD19.4 million, the airline previously
said. 

Since 2014, RJ also had to suspend flights to regions of conflict that include Mosul in Iraq and Benghazi and Tripoli in Libya. The airline was also forced to cancel flights to Misrata, Sanaa and Aden.