Syrian Airspace  Revenues Exceeds $5 Million in a Month

Last May, Syria recorded an exceptional jump in the revenues of planes transiting its airspace, driven by the change in the routes of regional airlines to escape the risks of war between Iran and Israel, which restored Syria's airspace to its economic weight after years of decline.

According to data from the General Authority of Civil Aviation, 11,801 flights crossed Syrian airspace in May, compared to 4,267 flights in April, an increase of more than 175% monthly, and 375% annually.

Based on a flat fee of $499 per flight imposed by the Syrian government, last May air traffic could have generated up to $5.9 million in revenue from flying over Syria, according to Reuters calculations.

These fees are distributed between $430 basic fees and $69 communications fees, regardless of the aircraft's type, size or type of operation, according to a document issued by the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) published by FAS Aero, an air handling company contracted by the Syrian government.

 The document showed a 50 percent reduction in fees for domestic flights and aircraft registered in Syria, and a full exemption for aircraft belonging to heads of state and official delegations and search and rescue operations.

The rise reflects a gradual return to Syria's role as a regional air corridor, benefiting from the diversion of air routes due to Iranian-Israeli tensions, raising flight fees and modernizing navigation systems

$75 per plane under the former regime

Under the former Syrian regime, Syria imposed a fee of $75 on small planes flying over its territory, or between $1 and $1.25 per metric ton for large planes, according to OPSGroup, the main party assigned by the Syrian General Authority of Civil Aviation as an international intermediary and official authorized to manage and collect fees for transiting Syrian airspace from international airlines and supplying them, and an official in the Syrian aviation sector, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Millions of dollars to the state treasury

The total revenues of the civil aviation and air transit sector in Syria have risen to unprecedented levels in recent months, with millions of dollars flowing into the treasury every month, driven by the big jump in air traffic recorded in early June 2026.

This growth is due to increased transit flights, higher fees and Syria's shift to an alternative air corridor amid regional tensions.

The figures indicate that the month of May 2026 represented the peak of air transit with 11,801 aircraft registered, generating estimated revenues of between $1.7 and $3.5 million in one month, based on an average fee of between $150 and $300 per aircraft, and in April 2026, 2,523 aircraft crossed, providing the treasury with hundreds of thousands of dollars after a long period of recession. In March 2026, revenues fell to their lowest levels with only 32 planes transiting as a result of air closures and tensions Direct military.

Aviation share in the general budget of the state

The data of the citizen's budget for 2026 show that the structure of public revenues in Syria has witnessed a clear transformation, especially in the way of classifying revenues related to the civil aviation sector and air transit, as the Ministry of Finance has included these revenues under the "investment revenues and public property revenues" item and not under the miscellaneous revenues item, which reflects a trend to reorganize sources of income and link them to the productive and service sectors with direct cash returns.

According to the "Citizen's Budget" issued by the Syrian Ministry of Finance for 2026, these revenues contribute up to 22% of the total state revenues amounting to about $10.5 billion , according to a statement by President Ahmed al-Sharaa on March 19.

In this way, the aviation sector is emerging as one of the quick sources of cash that enhances the state's ability to finance part of its budget, at a time when traditional revenues are declining and the need for stable foreign currency resources is increasing.

The development of Syrian aviation after the fall of the regime

Since the beginning of 2025, the aviation sector in Syria has developed with the development of air navigation systems and the entry of new companies into the Syrian market, but it is still in the testing of international companies.

The OPS Group, an advisory body for aviation risk control, said airspace over Syria remains considered "high-risk" and is currently subject to only procedural control, the simplest level of air traffic control.

According to aviation officials, air traffic is still less than half of pre-war levels, and its increase is largely limited to Gulf airlines, with the European Aviation Safety Agency still recommending airlines avoid flying over Syria and the region due to the Iranian conflict, and Asian and North American airlines largely avoiding Middle Eastern airspace.

Omar Al Hosari, Director of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), said that the Authority has modernized flight paths, re-evaluated air traffic patterns, strengthened navigation, air surveillance and control systems, and adopted risk-based safety assessments in line with the standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).