A technical aviation team from the Gulf state had accompanied the delegation that visited Syria on December 23 to assess the readiness of Damascus Airport for the resumption of its operations.

Qatar has dispatched its first direct aid flight to Damascus International Airport on Monday, carrying humanitarian aid and technical assistance to resume operations at the facility in Syria.

The Qatar Emiri Air Force jet, which departed from the Al-Udeid Air Base, carried aid provided by the Qatar Fund for Development, including ambulances and food parcels, the Gulf state’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

Qatari philanthropist Ghanim Al-Muftah witnessed the onloading of the aid at the military base.

“This plane is the first to land at Damascus International Airport as part of the Qatari air bridge, highlighting the State of Qatar’s strong commitment and full support for its brothers in Syria,” the statement added.

In a statement to Doha’s state news agency (QNA), Qatar’s Minister of State for International Cooperation, Maryam Al-Misnad, underlined her country’s continuous support for Syria “in all fields” in its pursuit “to achieve the aspirations of the Syrian people for a dignified life”.

Qatar had launched its humanitarian air bridge on December 12 to provide Syrians with crucial humanitarian assistance, with deliveries previously carried out through the Turkish city of Gaziantep, Jordan’s Marka military airport and Lebanon’s Rafic Hariri International Airport.

The latest delivery came a week after the visit of a high-profile Qatari delegation to Damascus led by the Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mohammed Al-Khulaifi, who met Syria’s interim leader, Ahmed Al-Sharaa.

The high-level visit came days after the fall of the Assad regime on December 8 in a surprise offensive led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

The Qatari delegation had travelled aboard the first Qatar Airways flight to Damascus International Airport in 13 years since the Gulf state severed ties with the Assad regime in response to its brutal crackdown on peaceful protesters.

Qatar had closed its embassy in 2011 and was the first to establish the diplomatic mission for the opposition in its capital, Doha, while maintaining its unwavering stance against the Assad regime.

A technical aviation team from the Gulf state had accompanied the delegation that visited Syria to assess the readiness of Damascus Airport for the resumption of its operations.