International flights resume at Damascus airport

International flights resumed at Syria's main airport in Damascus on Tuesday for the first time since rebels toppled President Bashar al-Assad last month.

Excitement was in the air at the Damascus airport, where passengers arrived from Qatar chanting and cheering with some draped in Syria's three-star independence flag.

"Today marks a new beginning," Damascus airport director Anis Fallouh said.

"We started welcoming outbound and inbound international flights," he said, adding that the first flight was bound for Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.

The first Qatari commercial flight in nearly 13 years landed in Damascus at around 1:00 pm (10:00 GMT).

A Syrian Airlines flight bound for Sharjah took off at around 11:45 am (0845 GMT), marking the first international commercial flight from the airport since December 8.

Syria's three-star independence flag, long associated with opposition to Assad and which the new authorities have adopted, was painted on the plane.

International aid planes and foreign diplomatic delegations have already been landing in Syria, and domestic flights have also resumed.

"I was afraid that the airport would stay closed, my visa was about to expire, but now I am very happy," Amal Jeroudi, a 45-year-old Syrian said as she awaited her flight to Dubai where she was meeting her relatives.

She said airport employees during Assad's rule "were condescending, but today they are very nice and welcomed us with a smile".

Syria's state news agency SANA also reported that "the first Syrian plane after liberation" took off on Tuesday heading to Sharjah carrying "145 Syrian passengers onboard".

On Tuesday, Qatar Airways resumed flights to Damascus after nearly 13 years, with three weekly flights scheduled.

Fallouh confirmed that "the first incoming flight is a Qatar Airways plane".

Jordan's state-run Petra news agency said a Royal Jordanian test flight had also departed on Tuesday for Damascus quoting Civil Aviation official Haitham Misto.

The flight is "a message of support and solidarity" that "aims to assess the technical condition of Damascus International Airport," Misto said.

A Qatari official told AFP last month that Doha had offered the new Syrian authorities help in resuming operations at Damascus airport.

On December 18, the first flight since rebels ousted Assad 10 days earlier took off from Damascus airport bound for Syria's second city Aleppo, in the country's north.

Syria's new authorities have made repeated overtures to the international community, with Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani making a string of official visits to Arab capitals including the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.