Romanian airline DAN AIR has marked the first anniversary of its flights to Syria, having carried more than 30,000 passengers between Bucharest and Damascus since becoming the first European Union carrier to resume direct scheduled services to Syria after a 14-year absence. The route achieved an average load factor of 88%.
Building on this success, DAN AIR will launch permanent summer-season flights to Aleppo from 1 July 2026, making it the only EU airline operating scheduled services to both Damascus and Aleppo. The airline says the routes help reconnect families, support mobility and strengthen economic links between Europe and Syria.
CEO Matt Ian David described the expansion as validation of the airline’s decision to enter a challenging market, highlighting strong operational performance despite regional tensions.
Key performance indicators for the first year of Syrian operations include:
- More than 30,000 passengers carried.
- Average load factor of 88%.
- 98% of flights operated on time.
- Only 2% of flights delayed by less than three hours.
- Continued operations through Aleppo when Damascus Airport was temporarily unavailable.
The Syrian expansion comes amid broader growth for DAN AIR. In 2025, the airline carried over 272,000 passengers, more than 30% above the previous year, while maintaining a 98% on-time performance rate.
DAN AIR currently operates twice-weekly flights from Bucharest to both Damascus and Aleppo, with services on Wednesdays and Sundays.