Damascus International Airport

Damascus International Airport (Arabic: مطار دمشق الدولي, romanized: Maṭār Dimašq ad-Dawaliyy) (IATA: DAM, ICAO: OSDI) is the international airport of Damascus, the capital of Syria. Inaugurated in the mid-1970s, it also was the country's busiest airport. In 2010, an estimated 5.5 million passengers used the airport, an increase of more than 50% since 2004.[1]

Damascus International Airport

مطار دمشق الدولي
Summary
Airport typeJoint
(Civil and Military air base)
OperatorDirectorate General of Civil Aviation
ServesDamascus, Syria
Hub for
Elevation AMSL2,020 ft / 616 m
Coordinates33°24′41.48″N 36°30′56.01″E
Websitedamascus-airport.com
Map
DAM
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
05R/23L 11,811 3,600 Asphalt
05L/23R 11,804 3,598 Asphalt
Statistics (2010)
Passengers5,500,000

History

Aerial view of DAM

Since the onset of the Syrian Civil War, the airport and the road leading to it have been closed intermittently and most international airlines have ceased flights. Several airlines such as Emirates and EgyptAir with former regular service to Damascus have cancelled their flights to Damascus. British Airways stopped flying to Damascus in May 2012 as well, while Royal Jordanian stopped in July 2012. In November and December 2012, intense fighting was reported around the airport, prompting a two-day closure.[2]

Facilities

The airport features two duty-free outlets. The departures hall also includes an in-house coffee shop, several souvenir shops, three restaurants, and a lounge for first and business class passengers.

The southern part of the airport has hardened aircraft shelters and artillery revetments.[3]

Airlines and destinations

AirlinesDestinations
Cham Wings Airlines[4] Baghdad, Basra, Beirut, Benghazi, Erbil, Khartoum, Kuwait, Moscow–Sheremetyevo, Muscat, Najaf, Qamishli, Sharjah, Tehran–Imam Khomeini, Yerevan
Fly Baghdad[5] Baghdad, Basra, Erbil, Najaf
Mahan Air[6] Tehran–Imam Khomeini
Syrian Air[7] Abu Dhabi, Algiers, Amman–Queen Alia, Baghdad, Bahrain, Cairo, Doha, Dubai–International, Khartoum, Kuwait, Moscow–Vnukovo, Najaf, Sharjah, Tehran–Imam Khomeini

Accidents and incidents

  • On 20 August 1975, ČSA Flight 540, crashed while on approach to Damascus International Airport. Out of the 128 passengers and crew on board, there were only two survivors.

References

Media related to Damascus International Airport at Wikimedia Commons

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