LONDON: The Syrian Arab Republic announced on Monday it had started restoring Latakia International Airport, a move officials said would enable passenger service and return the facility to operation as part of a broader effort to rebuild the country’s aviation network. Omar Hosari, head of the General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport, told the Syrian Arab News Agency that technical teams had started work on the airport’s buildings, facilities and equipment. “We are working to restore Syrian airports to their full role in serving the state, citizens and the national economy,” Hosari said, adding that the Latakia facility had entered the implementation phase. However, Hosari did not provide a timeline for resuming flights. He said the airport would reopen after restoration was complete and it had met the required technical and safety standards. He said the broader effort also sought to reinforce state control over civil aviation facilities, which Syria considered sovereign and strategically important infrastructure. The work follows an Aug. 9 memorandum between Syria and Russia that reorganized Russia’s presence along Syria’s Mediterranean coast after more than 18 months of negotiations. Under the agreement, Damascus is to regain management of civilian facilities, including Hmeimim Airport and a commercial berth at Tartous port, while military sites are to be converted into joint training and qualification centers. Syrian civil aviation officials began discussions with Russian representatives in August on the technical and operational arrangements for transferring Latakia International Airport, including assessments of its infrastructure, equipment and systems. Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani visited the airport on Sept. 18 and met Russian officials to review implementation of the memorandum and progress on the handover, according to Syrian state media. The August agreement also redefines the functions of military facilities previously used by Russian forces in Syria. The two sides agreed that these would be converted into joint training centers. The transition is scheduled to be implemented within three months. During Syria’s civil war, which erupted in 2011 and continued until the fall of President Bashar Assad’s regime in December 2024, Russia, a key Assad ally at the time, used Latakia in 2015 as a key hub for its air operations in the country.