Israel quietly lifts block on night flights at Syria's airports

Israel quietly lifted its ban on night flights to Syria's Damascus and Aleppo international airports, according to regional officials. The Syrian General Authority for Civil Aviation and Transport announced the completion of the installation of air navigation systems, including ILS/DME and DVOR/DME, allowing passenger aircraft to land at night and in low visibility conditions.

Syrian authorities had been unable to activate the equipment due to an Israeli ultimatum that threatened to shoot down any small airplanes conducting calibration flights. The Israeli government's position changed after technicians determined that the calibration flights could be conducted within a 25km radius instead of 50km. Israel's decision came after the US envoy Tom Barrack sought to establish a trilateral deconfliction mechanism following a strike on a Syrian airbase by Israel.

Israel's earlier opposition to the deployment of a HTRS-100 air traffic control radar system, produced by Turkish defense company ASELSAN, was also resolved.