Damascus, July 16 (SANA)Head of the Syrian General Authority for Civil Aviation and Air Transport Omar Hosari said the newly signed air transport agreement with Germany establishes the legal framework for restoring direct air links between the two countries after years of suspension.

In a post on X, Hosari said the agreement completes the legal and regulatory framework needed to move to the operational phase, including designating airlines, processing operating applications and coordinating with the relevant authorities in both countries.

He said the Syrian General Authority for Civil Aviation and Air Transport is currently reviewing applications from three German airlines seeking to launch flights to Syria, while German authorities are examining requests to designate Syrian national carriers. The process is expected to advance alongside the anticipated lifting of restrictions on July 27.

Hosari said the agreement marks the beginning of efforts to restore direct air connectivity between Syria and Germany, adding that it would benefit the Syrian community in Germany while supporting travel, trade, investment and tourism.

Earlier on Thursday, Sameh Arabi, Deputy Head of the Syrian General Authority for Civil Aviation and Air Transport, and German Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office Géza Andreas von Geyr signed the final air transport agreement at Tishreen Palace in Damascus.

The signing coincided with the inaugural session of the Syrian-German Joint Committee, co-chaired by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani and von Geyr. The session followed the signing of a declaration formally establishing the committee as a framework for long-term bilateral cooperation.F.J./ABD