Return of Iraq-Syria flights postponed: Damascus

AFP  |  Damascus 

said it had been informed Iraqi flights to would not resume as planned Saturday after more than seven years, over what it said were "administrative" reasons.

But the Syrian transport ministry on Saturday said it had been informed of the "decision to postpone the trip of two planes today... until further notice."

The flights were postponed to allow for "the completion of some administrative and organisational steps between the company and the Syrian civil aviation" authority, it said in a statement on

It posted a photo of an urgent letter sent from the Iraqi embassy in the same day, informing the foreign ministry both flights had been deferred.

The comes as faces rising tensions between the and its neighbour Iran, and after the deployed a group accompanied by bombers to the Gulf.

The last flight from to Damascus took place in December 2011, according to

Most airlines stopped flying to and over after the conflict broke out, with many taking longer routes to circumvent the war zone.

But the conflict has wound down in recent years, after major regime advances against rebels and jihadists with Russian military backing since 2015.

Last month, the said it had agreed to allow regional to resume flights over the country.

Syria's war has killed more than 370,000 people and displaced millions inside and abroad since starting in March 2011 with a crackdown on anti-government demonstrations.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Sat, May 18 2019. 19:11 IST