The Syrian Minister of Transport, Ali Hammoud, announced on Monday the reopening of the Aleppo International Airport, eight years after its suspension.
In a statement, the ministry said that the first flight from Damascus to Aleppo will take off on Wednesday after the airport in Aleppo was forcefully closed in 2012 due to the rebels' repetitive attacks.
The governor of Aleppo, Hussein Diab, had announced in August of last year that the international airport was ready and that it would be reopened soon after a solution to its security concerns.
Hammoud said the airport is ready now and flights to Cairo and Damascus are scheduled for the coming few days.
The Syrian army declared on Monday the capture of tens of villages and towns in the western and northwestern countryside of Aleppo, securing thus the provincial capital of Aleppo, which was subject to ongoing rebel attacks.
In a statement, the Syrian army said the military operation in western Aleppo was "precise and qualitative," adding that the operation is ongoing.
Hammoud added that engineering teams in the Ministry of Transport began studying the Damascus-Aleppo highway and they intend to put it into service in the coming days.
“The Khan Sheikhoun-Saraqeb Highway extends to the entrance to the city of Aleppo for a length of 102 km. Measures to clear the road from dirt for vehicles have started and preparations are underway,” Hammoud said.
