Aleppo int'l airport to return to service soon: official

Syrian official said Wednesday that the international airport of the northern city of Aleppo will return to service soon, after the army forces retook rebel-held areas in the eastern part of the city.

Bassem Mansour, the director of the airport, said so in a speech to reporters at the runway of the airport, which has been out of service since early 2013, and announced that it will soon return to service after the complete of maintenance work.

He, however, stopped short of giving a timeframe.

"The vicinity of the airport from all directions has become safe for the resumption of flights," he said, adding that the airport will return under service as it used to be ahead of the crisis.

Maintenance work is ongoing, including fixing the airport runway lighting, renovating the halls for passengers and fixing the machines for security checks and customs inside the airport.

He said the rebels attacks on the airport from the north and northwest have hindered the airport operations and damaged its equipments, adding that after the military operation in Aleppo, the airspace around the airport has become secure.

The Syrian army has recently waged a wide-scale offensive in Aleppo, capturing 99 percent of the rebel-held part east of Aleppo.

The airport has for long been besieged by the rebels, but never fails to their hands. Endit