ISTANBUL 

The first flight between the Turkish and Syrian capital cities in years flew on Friday, the Turkish transport and infrastructure minister announced.

Abdulkadir Uraloglu said the first flight from Ankara’s Esenboga Airport to Damascus International Airport took place on Friday.

"Our new bridge of hearts connecting Ankara and Damascus has come to life as a symbol of our long-standing friendship," he stressed.

He said flight service will be offered three times a week, on Mondays, Fridays, and Sundays.

The first flight between Ankara and Damascus was made by low-cost Turkish airline AJet.

Ajet this week also began to operate flights from Istanbul's Sabiha Gokcen Airport to Damascus.