Syria, Russia hold talks on Latakia airport handover before flights resume

Syrian civil aviation officials and Russian representatives held talks Thursday on completing procedures to hand over and operate Latakia International Airport ahead of the resumption of civilian flights, Syria's state news agency SANA reported.

The discussions took place during an expanded meeting at the airport and focused on finalizing handover procedures and reviewing technical and operational arrangements for the post-transfer phase, according to SANA.

The Syrian delegation included Abdul Bari Al-Saj, deputy head of the Civil Aviation and Air Transport Authority, Samih Arabi and several department directors.

The delegation also toured the airport's facilities to assess infrastructure, equipment and operational systems and identify technical requirements for the next phase.

SANA said the efforts are part of a broader plan by the Civil Aviation and Air Transport Authority to rehabilitate Latakia International Airport and restore its operational readiness before flights resume.

On Aug. 9, the authority announced that it had assumed management of the airport following the signing of a memorandum of understanding to reorganize Russia's presence on Syria's Mediterranean coast and transfer civilian facilities to the Syrian state.

Earlier this week, Syria's Foreign Ministry said the memorandum was reached after 18 months of negotiations. Under the agreement, Syria will take over management of civilian facilities, including Hmeimim Airport and the fourth commercial berth at the Port of Tartus, while Russia's presence on the coast will be reorganized.

Latakia airport had been under the Russian military's near-complete control since late 2015, operating as Hmeimim Air Base under an agreement with the former Assad regime that granted Moscow free and indefinite use of the facility as the main hub for its air operations in Syria.

Russia provided military and political support to former President Bashar al-Assad's government throughout the Syrian conflict from 2011 to 2024.

On Dec. 8, 2024, Syrian opposition factions entered Damascus and declared the end of the Assad regime, bringing more than five decades of Assad family rule to a close.