Turkish consortium undertakes $4B Damascus airport upgrade

A consortium of Turkish construction companies has been awarded a $4B (€3.5b) contract to upgrade and expand Damascus International Airport in Syria.

The deal includes Kalyon Insaat and Cengiz Insaat, alongside Qatari firm UCC, US-based Assets Investments, the Syrian Finance Ministry, and the Syrian Civil Aviation General Authority.

The four-phase modernisation programme will rehabilitate existing facilities, construct new terminals, and enhance airport operations. Once complete, the airport’s annual passenger capacity is expected to rise to over 31 million within a decade, starting with 6 million passengers by 2026 through the completion of Terminals 1 and 2, followed by Terminal 3 raising capacity to 13 million.

The initiative will also generate over 90,000 direct and indirect jobs, bolstering trade, tourism, and logistics across the region. A further $250M (€200m) is allocated for aircraft financing to strengthen operational capacity on international routes.

Murathan Kalyoncu, chair of Kalyon Insaat, said: “We are now moving forward to implement this project, which will significantly contribute to the Syrian economy, regional development, and stability.” He highlighted previous experience delivering the IGA Istanbul Airport and emphasised the importance of applying that expertise to Syria.

Asim Cengiz, deputy chair of Cengiz Insaat, added: “We will bring a safe, modern, and high-capacity airport with our expertise and global experience — this investment will revive the region’s trade and transportation network, while reflecting our determination to support the normalisation of life in Syria and its long-term development goals.”

Explore the full article to see how the Damascus airport upgrade is shaping Syria’s aviation and construction sectors.