Syrian Air, the national airline of Syria, announced that it will resume direct flights to Dubai and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates starting Sunday. This decision follows a period of suspended flights between Syria and the UAE, which began in January after Islamist-led rebels overthrew the former Syrian leader, Bashar al-Assad, in December of the previous year.

The airline’s announcement coincides with a recent declaration from the UAE’s civil aviation authority regarding the resumption of flights to and from Syria. As of now, no airlines based in the UAE have made plans to initiate flights to Syria.

This development is significant as it comes shortly after Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s inaugural visit to the UAE since taking office. During this visit, he met with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, which may have influenced the decision to reinstate air travel between the two nations.