Hope and apprehension among expats as Syria airport reopens
Khaleej Times|January 08, 2025
After being closed for years, Syria's international airport has officially reopened, sparking a mix of hope and apprehension among Syrian expats.
Waad Barakat

Some are eager to return home after years of displacement, while others remain uncertain, wary of what awaits in a country still recovering from the scars of conflict.

"I want to go back today, not tomorrow," said Ghassan Aboud, a 51-year-old Syrian expat who has spent 21 years away from his homeland. The fall of Bashar AI Assad has given many Syrians like Ghassan a renewed sense of hope, with a potential path home now in sight. In the past, the only option was to fly to Jordan and take a shuttle bus into Syria. However, with Damascus International Airport back in operation, many are excited about the prospect of booking direct flights home.

For many expats, the longing to reconnect with family and revisit their hometowns, which have been distant memories for so long, fuels the urgency to return.

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