Syrian Airlines

...is the new name for Syrian Arab Airlines, the airline of - you guessed it - Syria.

Syrian Arab Airlines operated a mixture of western and Soviet aircraft; old Boeing 727s, a couple of 747s, and a dozen or so Tupolev Tu134s and Tu154s. Over the past two years, Syrianair have been updating their fleet. The Tupolevs are all retired, as are about half of the Boeings, which have been replaced by new Airbus A320 aircraft.

...
...straight onto the plane. A Syrian Airlines rep came to the lounge to escort the First class passengers to the gate, which was a nice touch.


Seat and cabin
A stewardess was standing at the door welcoming people as they boarded and pointing anyone who looked lost in the direction of their seat.

The Business Class cabin on the newer Airbus A320 offered rather disappointing converter seats; the normal three ... more

Syrianair is the new name for Syrian Arab Airlines, the airline of - you guessed it - Syria.

Syrian Arab Airlines operated a mixture of western and Soviet aircraft; old Boeing 727s, a couple of 747s, and a dozen or so Tupolev Tu134s and Tu154s. Over the past two years, Syrianair have been updating their fleet. The Tupolevs are all retired, as are about half of the Boeings, which have been replaced by new Airbus A320 aircraft.

I flew once with Syrianiar, in 2001, on a Tupolev 134 and actually found it much better than I had expected. Recently I had the chance to fly with them again, first a short domestic flight on an A320 in Business class, followed the next day by another domestic flight, then an international flight from Damascus on an old Boeing 727 in First class.

Check In and boarding
Check in at both Damascus and Aleppo was quick and hassle free. I got my window seat on both flights! The check in counter never seemed very busy, though that might be because I arrived not long before the flight closed!

Damascus airport is quite large but with a distinctly dated feel. There is a large business class lounge which has limited facilities available but is at least quiet and comfortable. There is also a First Class lounge which I got to the on the way back; it is quite small, exclusive, but with no facilities beyond a bar and TV. Neither lounge offers business services or internet.

From Damascus, boarding was through an air bridge straight onto the plane. A Syrian Airlines rep came to the lounge to escort the First class passengers to the gate, which was a nice touch.

Seat and cabin
A stewardess was standing at the door welcoming people as they boarded and pointing anyone who looked lost in the direction of their seat.

The Business Class cabin on the newer Airbus A320 offered rather disappointing converter seats; the normal three seats were converted into two, slightly wider ones by folding down the seat cushion of the middle seat to create a rickety, wobbly table. I didn't dare try to balance my glass there. I really don't like this middle seat tabletop, Turkish Airlines do it as well and it really seems cheap and nasty.

The older Boeing 727 aircraft, which I flew back on, was very different. The front of the plane was still fitted with the old First class seats, which must date back at least twenty if not thirty years. The seat was certainly spacious and quite comfortable. Of course twenty years ago there were few "ergonomically designed" seats, but this one was not bad! It was upholstered in a pale grey, with red and blue threads, which looked good against the blue carpeted floor. The overhead lockers were a bit small, the new larger carry-on bags would not fit. The front bulkeads were decorated with murals of historical buildings in Syria - one was a palace, the other a mosque. Overall the cabin looked well used, a bit dated but still quite smart and classy.

On all three flights we departed just about on time.

Meal and Drinks
On the short domestic flights a small snack was provided; two slices of a fruit cake and tea of coffee. The cake tasted okay, if a little dry.

On the international flight the service was more thorough and substantial. We were offered a glass of juice or water before take-off, the after departure they served a full breakfast.

The breakfast was a choice of bread rolls, with cheese, honey and jam. There was a bowl of fresh olives and two omlettes, one filled with meat and the other with mushrooms, served with fries. To finish, there was a selection of fruit. Overall it was pleasant, substantial and quite tasty.

In Flight Service
Before take off we were offered newspapers. Unfortunately there were no English language ones, so I had to decline.

The stewardess in First class, Diana, was very pleasant, in fact quite a sweetie. She was warm, cheerful and reminded me of an auntie! I fell asleep after take off and woke up about 45 minutes into the flight. On many airlines they will shake you awake at meal times. Not her. As I was waking up I saw her look through the curtains at me, then she came up and smiled and asked if I wanted to eat now or should she come back later.

After the meal service there was not much else until we arrived. We were not offered any drinks later, though if we asked for something then it came.

The flight was "no smoking", as are all Syrianair flights. I didn't see anyone smoking though there was a cigarette end in the ashtray in my seat.

Summary
A real pleasant surprise. I had always imagined that Syrianair, with their ageing aircraft, would be rather lacking in comfort and service, but I was wrong. From my experiences, they are not bad and certainly make more attempt at helpful service than their neighbours, Royal Jordanian. It's a shame that the newer Airbuses are not offering the same levels of comfort in the premium cabin as the old Boeing 727s.
 

...less