LEAV Aviation to Launch First Direct Flights from Cologne to Deir ez-Zor on 1 September

Syria’s General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport announced the launch of the first direct commercial air link between Deir ez-Zor International Airport and Cologne Bonn Airport in Germany, scheduled to commence on 1 September. The service will operate once per week.

First Regular European Service to Deir ez-Zor

Omar al-Husri, head of the General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport, stated in remarks to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) that German airline LEAV Aviation will initiate its first scheduled direct flights between the two airports on 1 September, with one flight per week. He confirmed this marks the first time in the commercial operational history of Deir ez-Zor International Airport that it will host a regularly scheduled flight operated by a European carrier.

Expansion of LEAV Aviation’s Syrian Network

Al-Husri noted that the new route forms part of the authority’s broader strategy to integrate Deir ez-Zor into the global air transport network, strengthen Syria’s presence on the international aviation map, and open additional destinations for residents of the eastern region. Under this expansion, LEAV Aviation’s operations in Syria now include direct flights from Germany to Damascus, Aleppo, and Deir ez-Zor — reinforcing bilateral travel and connectivity.

Background: Resumption of Syria–Germany Air Links

On 29 July, LEAV Aviation’s inaugural flight arrived at Damascus International Airport from Düsseldorf, Germany. That flight constituted the first regular air service between Syria and Germany in approximately 14 years. It also marked the initial implementation of the civil aviation agreement signed by the Syrian and German governments on 16 July — an accord that paved the way for the resumption of scheduled flights between the two countries.

Al-Husri pledged continued efforts to connect Deir ez-Zor and the eastern region with global air networks, and to expand the number of routes and destinations, aiming to restore Deir ez-Zor to “the position it deserves”, as he put it.