USD 4 Billion Investment Gets Underway at Damascus Airport with Kalyon İnşaat and Cengiz İnşaat Behind the Major International Project

At the signing ceremony between Suriye Sivil Havacılık Otoritesi and Suriye Finans Bakanlığı and the consortium comprising Türkiye's Kalyon İnşaat and Cengiz İnşaat, Qatar's UCC and US based Assets Investments, the investment agreement and airport concession agreement were approved, marking the start of actual project implementation.

Target: Annual Capacity of 31 Million Passengers

The project covers the development, expansion and operation of Damascus International Airport. Existing facilities will be rehabilitated, while a new terminal, apron and ancillary structures will be built to progressively improve operating quality and capacity. Once the four phase modernization program is complete, annual passenger capacity is expected to reach 31 million within 10 years. Total investment in the project will be approximately USD 4 billion.

Turkish Contractors Take an Important Step in Syria's Reconstruction

Having successfully delivered large scale projects in strategic sectors such as energy, infrastructure and transport in Türkiye and abroad, Kalyon İnşaat and Cengiz İnşaat are taking their contribution to Syria's long term development a step further with this investment. The engineering experience, technical capacity and management expertise they have gained on globally recognized landmark projects, particularly Istanbul Airport, bring significant value to the region's reconstruction.

Supporting Syria's Economy and Regional Development

The Damascus International Airport project includes a comprehensive modernization program aimed at revitalizing Syria's aviation sector. Capacity is targeted to reach 6 million passengers by the end of 2026 following improvements to Terminals 1 and 2. Capacity is planned to rise to 16 million when Terminal 3 enters service, with two new units to be added in the second and third phases, each serving 7.5 million passengers.

When all phases are complete, the airport's total annual capacity will reach 31 million passengers within 10 years. More than 90,000 direct and indirect jobs are expected to be created during implementation, strengthening the region's trade, tourism and logistics capacity. The agreement also includes USD 250 million in aircraft financing to renew the fleet and increase operating capacity on international routes.

“We Will Support Syria's Economy, Regional Development and Stability.”

Commenting after the agreements were signed, Kalyon İnşaat Chairman Murathan Kalyoncu said: “As a Turkish company rooted in our country, we have delivered projects that add value to people, society, the environment and the economy, and undertaken investments beyond our borders, with the aim of bringing world firsts and leading achievements to Türkiye. We have now entered the implementation stage of this project, which will make a major contribution to Syria's economy, regional development and stability. We are delighted to deliver such a comprehensive investment with our valued business partners.

As a company that delivered a globally acclaimed project such as Istanbul Airport in record time, we will now put our experience and expertise at Syria's service. This investment will modernize and expand Damascus International Airport while also contributing to the development of the country's service sector, greater transport options, increased employment, revived tourism, the international expansion of Syrian businesses and faster shipment of locally produced goods to overseas markets. It will therefore become an important driver of sustainable growth and development in Syria,” he said.

“We Will Be a Driving Force for Sustainable Community Life and Economic Development”

Explaining that they continue to help erase the scars of war in Syria through their many years of international experience, Cengiz İnşaat Deputy Chairman Asım Cengiz said: “The project we have undertaken at Damascus International Airport marks a critical stage in restoring Syria's aviation infrastructure to international standards. With our engineering expertise and global experience, we will progressively deliver a safe, modern airport with high capacity. This investment will help revitalize the region's trade and transport network, while also naturally reflecting our commitment to supporting a return to normal life in Syria and the country's long term development goals.

With our many years of engineering experience in infrastructure and building projects, we will carry out this modernization to the highest standards of quality, safety and efficiency. We will bring the project management disciplines, technical capacity and innovative approach we apply internationally to this project as well. Our aim is to deliver resilient, modern and sustainable aviation infrastructure that can meet Syria's future needs and provide lasting engineering value to the country's development drive,” he said.