Turkish Airlines has resumed flights to Syria after a 13-year hiatus, following the political changes in the country. The airline began its Istanbul to Damascus service on January 23, marking its first Syrian flight since 2012. This move follows Qatar Airways’ recent resumption of flights to Damascus.
The route between Istanbul and Damascus is operated three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. Turkish Airlines initially used a Boeing 777-300ER for the first roundtrip due to high demand but plans to use an Airbus A330-200 for subsequent flights.
In another development, JetBlue has started operations in Manchester, New Hampshire. The airline launched routes from Manchester to Fort Myers and Orlando on January 23 and added a route to Fort Lauderdale on January 24. JetBlue entered this market after Spirit Airlines ceased operations there.
Royal Air Maroc has inaugurated its longest route from Casablanca to Beijing Daxing. This thrice-weekly service uses a Boeing 787-9 and resumes a connection briefly served in 2020. The route avoids Russian airspace and is designed to facilitate connections across Royal Air Maroc’s African network.
Maldivian Airlines introduced its first widebody aircraft into service with an Airbus A330-200. The aircraft began operating flights from Malé to Chengdu Tianfu on January 22, followed by routes to Beijing Capital and Shanghai Pudong later in the week.
South African Airways has resumed flights between Johannesburg and Dar es Salaam after nearly three years. This daily service operates using an Airbus A320 and joins existing services by Airlink and Air Tanzania on this route.
Thai Lion Air launched new services from Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport to Kaohsiung in Taiwan on January 21. The flight continues onward to Okinawa, Japan, utilizing fifth-freedom traffic rights.
Austrian Airlines commenced weekly flights from Vienna to Ivalo in Finland’s far north on January 25. This marks the return of this city pair after a gap of 16 years.
