The Syrian authorities have stopped AJet (VF, Istanbul Sabiha Gökcen) from launching its Istanbul Sabiha Gökcen-Damascus route shortly before the first flight was due to take place on April 21, 2025, reportedly demanding reciprocal traffic rights to Türkiye, the Middle East Eye has reported.
Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows that the flights scheduled for April 21 and April 25 were cancelled. AJet did not respond to ch-aviation's request for comment.
The Syrian authorities reportedly want Ankara to authorise either Syrianair or privately-owned Cham Wings Airlines to fly to the country before they allow AJet's flights. However, sources at the Turkish Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure said this was out of the question as the aircraft operated by Syrian airlines are not compliant with Turkish safety standards.
"If they can lease aircraft with the necessary approvals that are not subject to US sanctions, we are ready to allow the flights as soon as possible," the official said.
Syrianair currently operates two active A320-200s, both 24.3 years of age, the ch-aviation fleets module shows. Cham Wings Airlines operates five A320-200s, which are, on average, 27.3 years old.
Both Syrian carriers are currently designated by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control. They were sanctioned for their close ties to the former president Bashar al-Assad, who was overthrown in early December 2024, but the designation did not change despite the political shift. The European Union lifted sanctions on Syrianair in February 2025, although Cham Wings Airlines remains designated by the bloc.
Turkish Airlines, the parent carrier of AJet, continues to fly daily between Istanbul Airport and Damascus, using a mix of narrow- and widebody aircraft types.
