DUBAI, UAE, 2 June 2025: Emirates is set to reintroduce flights to Damascus from 16 July 2025*. Operations were suspended to the Syrian capital in 2012, and the return of services follow a comprehensive evaluation in conjunction with the UAE GCAA.

The airline will initially start with three weekly services on Monday, Wednesday and Sunday, with plans to expand to four weekly flights from 2 August* with an additional flight on Saturday. Emirates will expand its Damascus services to daily operations, effective 26 October *.

Emirates’ services to Damascus will operate with a 302-seater Boeing 777-200LR and is planned to depart Dubai as EK 913 at 1200hrs, arriving in Damascus International Airport at 1410hrs local time. The return flight, EK 914 will depart Damascus at 1630hrs, arriving in Dubai at 2030hrs local time.**

The flights will open up new opportunities for travellers to conveniently connect to and from the airline’s network of nearly 150 destinations and will support the UAE’s efforts to strengthen bilateral ties and support Syrian aspirations to rebuild and attract foreign investment across key sectors such as energy, construction and agriculture.

Emirates customers flying to and from Damascus will also benefit from the airline’s codeshare partnership with flydubai, which will complement its flight schedule and provide more options and convenience when flying in and out of the Syrian capital.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group said: “Emirates is pleased to restart operations to Damascus and support Syria’s road ahead by providing better choice and connectivity, essential economic links for inwards investment as well as opening new trade lanes and global market access for the country. Re-establishing air travel and connectivity is also good news for our customers that make up the expansive Syrian diaspora across the Americas, Europe and the GCC, who are eager to fly back home and reconnect to their roots, and leverage their knowledge, skills, expertise and resources in ongoing development efforts.

We would like to thank the Syrian authorities for their support in strengthening connectivity between Dubai and Damascus and look forward to boosting links to and from the country through our regularly scheduled operations.”

The UAE and Syria’s trade volumes reached US $680 million (AED 2.5 billion) in 2024¹, a 23% increase over the previous year, and the new flights will further stimulate vital trade ties. The UAE's thriving Syrian community of over 350,000 nationals² have played an integral role in the UAE’s prosperity, contributing through entrepreneurial ventures and skilled expertise while further enriching the country’s vibrant cultural tapestry.

The Boeing 777-200LR aircraft operating to and from Damascus features 38 Business Class seats alongside 264 seats in Economy Class. Emirates Business Class on the Damascus service will feature a 2-2-2 configuration.  Travellers flying to and from Damascus with Emirates can enjoy the best experience in the sky with an unmatched culinary experience, including Levantine inspired dishes complemented by a wide selection of premium beverages. Customers can also sit back and relax with up to 6,500 channels of carefully curated entertainment, including close to 650 channels of Arabic content, including movies, TV shows, music, podcasts, games, audiobooks and more with ice, Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment system.

Emirates commenced services to Damascus in 1988, and prior to suspending operations in 2012 the airline carried over 2.1 million passengers in and out of Syria.  

The airline currently flies to 13 cities in the Middle East/GCC, serving the region with a total of 191 weekly flights.

*Subject to government approvals

**Summer timings

¹Source: Figures obtained from the UAE Ministry of Economy

²Source: Figures obtained from the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The new service will operate with a three-class Boeing 777-300ER, with a total capacity of 2,478 weekly seats. Emirates flight EK310 will depart Dubai at 0940hrs and arrives in Hangzhou at 2200hrs. The return flight, EK311, will depart Hangzhou at 0010hrs, landing in Dubai at 04:55hrs.**  

The new flights are optimally timed to connect travellers to 38 destinations in Europe, 22 in Africa, 11 in the Middle East as well as Brazil and Argentina, offering convenient two-way connections to key cities including ​Istanbul, Barcelona, Cairo and Johannesburg.

Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, commented on the airline’s latest expansion into the Chinese mainland: “Launching a new Dubai-Hangzhou route marks a pivotal moment in our operations in the Chinese mainland and broader East Asia region. As an emerging global hub for innovation, e-commerce and advanced manufacturing, Hangzhou will open doors to new opportunities for our passenger and cargo operations, further strengthening the vital economic and technological exchanges between the Middle East and China.”

He added: “The addition of a fifth gateway in our Chinese mainland network will not only enhance connectivity for travellers but also offer businesses efficient access to and from key East Asian markets. This expansion is part of our global growth strategy and positions Emirates as the preferred airline when linking the world to the Chinese mainland’s thriving economic corridors and beyond. We extend our gratitude to the local authorities for their valuable support of this strategic new route and look forward to collaborating closely towards our shared goals of enhanced global connectivity.”

 A rising tech powerhouse

The capital of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, is rapidly growing to become a global hub for innovation, e-commerce, and technological advancements. Home to Alibaba Group, the city is a driving force in China’s digital economy, with cross-border e-commerce exports projected to exceed AED 70 billion (140 billion Chinese yuan) by 2026[1]. Its blend of historical heritage —including the UNESCO-listed West Lake, Leifeng Pagoda, the Imperial Street of the Southern Song Dynasty, and the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City— as well as thriving tech industry will offer unique and diverse opportunities for Emirates’ travellers to visit and explore the city.

By embracing artificial intelligence, big data, and cloud computing, Hangzhou attracts numerous tech start-ups and innovation centres from all over the world. In 2024, the revenue generated by the city's core digital economy industries exceeded AED 1 trillion (2 trillion Chinese yuan), accounting for 28.8% of the city's GDP and highlighting the central role it plays in driving local economic growth.[2]

Serving passengers and cargo

Emirates’ Boeing 777-300ER will offer travellers 8 First Class suites, 42 angle-flat Business Class seats and 304 ergonomically designed Economy Class seats. Travellers flying with Emirates to Hangzhou will also enjoy the airline’s award-winning inflight entertainment system ice, offering over 6,500 channels of on-demand entertainment in more than 40 languages including Chinese, as well as regionally inspired cuisine including popular Chinese dishes and desserts.

With its extensive network and state-of-the-art facilities, Emirates SkyCargo will further strengthen economic and trade ties between China and the UAE, while reinforcing Hangzhou’s role as a major cargo hub and cross-border e-commerce gateway.

Emirates SkyCargo will leverage the new Hangzhou route to enhance its cargo footprint across East Asia, meeting rising demand for reliable air freight solutions. The service will also reduce transit times, enabling faster, more efficient movement of high-value and time-sensitive goods, including electronics, e-commerce products, pharmaceuticals, and perishables between the Chinese market and key regions including Africa, Latin America, and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

From 30 July, Emirates will operate 49 weekly flights to the Chinese mainland, including double daily services to Beijing and Shanghai, daily flights to Guangzhou and Shenzhen, and the new daily service to Hangzhou. The airline's continued expansion into the Chinese mainland reflects the deepening UAE-China bilateral ties and underscores Emirates' longstanding commitment to advancing the objectives of the Belt and Road Initiative. Serving as a vital link between China and emerging markets across Africa, the Middle East, and South America via Dubai, Emirates is well-positioned to seamlessly connect tech professionals, entrepreneurs, and investors from these high-growth regions to Hangzhou - a dynamic centre of technology and innovation.

For more information or to book tickets, visit emirates.com. Tickets can also be booked on the Emirates App, Emirates Retail stores, Emirates contact centre, or via travel agents. WeChat Pay is available on emirates.com for customers in China.

 *Subject to government approvals

** Emirates summer schedule. All times are local.

[1] Published by the General Office of the Hangzhou Municipal People's Government. https://www.hangzhou.gov.cn/art/2024/9/24/art_1229063382_1845987.html

[2] https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_30384682