As part of the implementation of an agreement between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the General Authority for Civil Aviation and Air Transport announced assuming management of Qamishli International Airport in Hasakah governorate on Saturday, Feb. 21. The move comes within the broader process of unifying state institutions and restoring airport operations in line with international civil aviation standards.
Field Tour to Assess Operations
Several department directors from the authority conducted a field visit assessing the airport’s operational, technical and administrative status. According to an official statement, discussions focused on mechanisms for reopening the airport in accordance with internationally recognized safety and efficiency standards.
Authority head Omar al-Hussari wrote on the platform X that assuming control of Qamishli Airport represents “an important institutional step in unifying airport management under state authority and ensuring operations meet the highest international standards.”
Hussari added that rehabilitation work continues at Deir Ezzor Airport at an accelerated pace, with teams working around the clock to restore operational readiness at both facilities. He said the primary objective is to reopen Qamishli and Deir Ezzor airports as soon as possible to serve residents in eastern Syria and strengthen national civil aviation connectivity.
Security Arrangements and Background
Earlier this month, a delegation from the Ministry of Interior, including the commander of Internal Security in Hasakah, Brig. Gen. Marwan al-Ali, and the director of Airport and Border Crossings Security, Col. Ahmad al-Ahmad, met with SDF representatives to coordinate the transfer of management and security arrangements.
Operations at Qamishli Airport had been suspended for over a year, ceasing on the night of Dec. 8, 2024, following the fall of the former regime. Russian forces, which had used a large portion of the airport as a military base for years, fully withdrew from the facility and surrounding sites late last month in coordination with the Syrian government, paving the way for the restoration of state control.
Technical and Administrative Preparations
The authority’s delegation arrived aboard an aircraft carrying equipment, devices and logistical supplies, accompanied by engineering and technical teams tasked with overseeing rehabilitation and operational preparations.
Syrian media reports indicate the government aims to reopen the airport in March, following the completion of maintenance work, installation of equipment and reconnection to the national aviation network.
In a related development, the SDF proposed retaining a number of its employees within the airport’s administrative and operational structure, while overall supervision of operations will rest with the government.
With this step, authorities say the state has regained control of a strategically and humanitarianly significant facility, expected to ease transportation challenges and improve connectivity for residents of eastern Syria and the broader Jazeera region (Raqqa, Deir Ezzor and Hasakah).
