Latakia, Aug. 13 (SANA) A delegation from Syria’s General Authority for Civil Aviation and Air Transport (GACA) arrived at Latakia International Airport on Thursday to discuss the completion of procedures and arrangements related to the airport’s handover.
The delegation included GACA’s deputy heads, Abdul Bari al-Saj and Sameh Arabi, along with a number of directors of specialized departments.
The delegation held an expanded meeting with representatives of the Russian side to review a number of related technical and operational aspects.
GACA’s specialized department directors also conducted a field tour of the airport’s various facilities to assess the condition of its infrastructure, equipment and existing systems and identify the technical and operational requirements for the next phase.
The airport handover comes as part of a Syrian-Russian agreement to reorganize Russia’s presence on the Syrian coast. Under the memorandum, the Syrian state will assume management of civilian facilities, including Hmeimim Airport, while Russian military bases will be transformed into joint training and qualification centers, according to the Foreign Ministry.
The memorandum was reached on August 9 following 18 months of negotiations and sets a deadline of no more than three months to complete the transformation, after which the new arrangements will take effect, according to the ministry.
GACA is preparing an integrated plan to rehabilitate Latakia International Airport, enhance its operational readiness and pave the way for the resumption of flights as soon as possible.
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