Syria suspends flights at Aleppo airport ‘until further notice’ amid escalation with SDF
Aviation authority calls move precautionary to protect passengers and crews
Syrian Army units establish security checkpoints in various neighborhoods following their operation against the terrorist organization PKK/YPG, which operates under the name SDF, (PKK listed as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the U.S. and the EU and YPG which Turkiye consider as the extension of PKK in Syria) in Aleppo, Syria on January 9, 2026.
ISTANBUL
Syria on Saturday suspended all air traffic at Aleppo International Airport until further notice, citing security concerns linked to recent attacks by the terrorist organization YPG/SDF on residential neighborhoods in the northern city.
In a statement carried by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), the General Authority of Civil Aviation said the airport would remain closed “until further notice” to ensure the safety of passengers and flight crews and safeguard operational security.
The authority described the decision as a temporary and precautionary step pending the completion of technical and security assessments in coordination with relevant authorities.
Official updates would be issued once a decision to resume flights is made, it added, urging travelers to follow up with their respective airlines for the latest information.
The authority earlier said that flights had been suspended to and from Aleppo International Airport until 23:00 (2000GMT)
Since Tuesday, the SDF has shelled residential neighborhoods, civilian facilities, and Syrian Army positions in Aleppo. The attacks have killed 23 people and wounded over 100 others and triggered the displacement of about 165,000 residents from the Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud districts.
In March 2025, the Syrian presidency announced the signing of an agreement for the SDF’s integration into state institutions, reaffirming the country's territorial unity and rejecting any attempts at division.
In April 2025, Syrian authorities signed an agreement with the SDF concerning the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods, stipulating that both districts would be considered administrative parts of the city of Aleppo while respecting their local particularities.
The agreement also included provisions to ban armed manifestations, restrict weapons to internal security forces, and require the withdrawal of SDF military forces to areas east of the Euphrates River in northeastern Syria.
But authorities said that in the months since, the SDF has not shown any efforts to meet the terms of the agreements.
The Syrian government has intensified efforts to maintain security across the country since the ouster of the Assad regime in December 2024, after 24 years in power.
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