
Fri Jul 18 14:20:00 UTC 2025: Here’s a news article summarizing the provided text:
**Emirates Resumes Flights to Damascus After Decade-Long Suspension**
Damascus, Syria – Emirates has officially resumed flights to Damascus after a decade-long suspension of operations, marking the return of the “City of Jasmine” to the airline’s extensive Middle Eastern network. Flight EK913 touched down at Damascus International Airport to a celebratory water cannon salute, carrying 286 passengers.
Emirates initially served Damascus starting in 1988, transporting over 2.1 million passengers before suspending flights in 2012. The airline will initially operate three weekly flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Sundays, with plans to increase service to four times a week starting August 2nd, adding a Saturday flight. Daily service is slated to begin on October 26th.
Passengers flying to and from Damascus will benefit from Emirates’ codeshare partnership with flydubai, providing greater flexibility and connectivity. The route will be serviced by a Boeing 777-200LR aircraft, featuring 38 Business Class seats (in a 2-2-2 configuration) and 264 Economy Class seats.
Emirates promises passengers a premium in-flight experience, featuring a diverse culinary offering that includes mezze appetizers prepared with authentic Syrian ingredients like tahini paste, red pepper paste, and olive oil.
The return to Damascus expands Emirates’ presence in the Middle East/GCC region, where it currently operates 194 weekly flights to 14 cities.