Lebanon and Syria discuss reopening the Beirut-Damascus air route and reactivating the Abboudieh crossing

As part of the visit by Prime Minister Dr. Nawaf Salam and the government delegation to the Syrian Arab Republic, and his meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Minister of Public Works and Transport Fayez Rasamny held a working meeting with Syrian Transport Minister Dr. Yarub Badr, in the presence of Director-General of Land and Maritime Transport Dr. Ahmad Tamer representing the Lebanese side, and Director-General of Syrian Customs Dr. Khaled al-Barad representing the Syrian side.

The meeting addressed a number of issues of mutual interest in the fields of land and air transport, border crossings, and logistical cooperation between the two countries, as part of efforts to explore ways to strengthen coordination and develop transport and exchange flows.

On the land transport file, the two sides discussed the issue of transferring goods loaded on trucks at the border, examining the possibility of resuming implementation of the provisions of the agreement signed between the two countries in 1993, or adopting special facilitations for goods of Lebanese origin, in a way that would help ease trade flows and reduce operational and logistical burdens on the transport sector.

The meeting also touched on the importance of activating the bilateral agreements signed between the two countries in the areas of transport, transit, and the crossing of persons and vehicles, in addition to enhancing technical cooperation and the exchange of expertise, in line with the requirements of the current phase and in a way that contributes to revitalizing transit and exchange between Lebanon and Syria.

The meeting also addressed cooperation in the civil aviation sector, with discussions focusing on prospects for coordination and cooperation with the Syrian side regarding the project to operate President Martyr Rene Moawad Airport in Qlayaat, for which tender bids are scheduled to be opened, given the project's importance in strengthening Lebanon's air transport infrastructure.

The two sides also discussed reopening the direct air corridor between Beirut and Damascus, which had previously been used and would shorten flight time between the two airports by around 10 minutes, given its positive impact on facilitating air traffic and passenger movement and improving the operational efficiency of flights.

Regarding border crossings, the two sides discussed the Lebanese side's plan to relocate the Masnaa border center to a point closer to the Syrian border, instead of its current location about 10 kilometers away, in a way that would help speed up crossing traffic, ease congestion, and improve logistical procedures.

They also discussed the file of reopening the Abboudieh crossing, after the two bridges linking the two countries were damaged during 2024. The Lebanese side indicated that, based on a previous request from the Syrian side, the Lebanese Army, in cooperation with the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, had built a temporary bridge, which has been ready since November 17, 2025, while the Syrian side explained that it is currently working on constructing a parallel bridge, expected to be completed during next July.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the two sides agreed to continue discussions on all these files through the joint technical committees between the two countries, which are expected to hold meetings in the coming period as part of efforts to activate bilateral agreements and strengthen joint cooperation across the various transport sectors.