Qatar Airways latest to resume Libya operations as Deir ez Zor returns to Syranair network

Qatar Airways has received a regulatory green light to open a branch in Libya for operational procedures.
Services between Qatar and Libya may start from October, although no schedules have been filed.
Deir ez Zor has resumed scheduled passenger services for the first time in 14 years.
Syrianair launched a two-times-weekly route to Kuwait on 3 August 2026.
Jazeera Airways has launched a two-times-weekly Kuwait-Deir ez Zor route on 8 August.

Qatar Airways has received a regulatory green light to open a branch in Libya, with the move allowing the airline to complete the necessary operational procedures to resume flights to the North African country. The airline has been discussing plans with the internationally recognised Libyan government of national unity in Tripoli since earlier this year, with expectations that services may start from October. No schedules have been filed by Qatar Airways for Libya operations, although the branch establishment has represented a necessary step towards the relaunch of air services between Qatar and Libya.

The Libyan aviation market has been undergoing a gradual recovery following years of political instability and conflict, with international carriers cautiously re-entering the market. Qatar Airways’ branch opening has been viewed as a positive development for the country’s connectivity, although the timeline for actual flight operations has remained subject to further regulatory approvals and operational readiness. The airline’s existing network in the Middle East and Africa has been extensive, and the addition of Libya would have filled a gap in its African coverage.

In a separate development, Deir ez Zor in eastern Syria has resumed scheduled passenger services for the first time in 14 years when Syrianair launched a two-times-weekly route to Kuwait on 3 August 2026. The airport had reopened for humanitarian operations on 17 June following a government-led rebuild, having closed to civil traffic in 2012 amid the escalating Syrian civil war and sustained damage during the conflict. Jazeera Airways has also launched a two-times-weekly Kuwait-Deir ez Zor route on 8 August as part of a network expansion strategy, with the resumption of services marking a recovery in Syria’s aviation infrastructure.