Syria has reached an agreement with Lebanon to set up a joint regional passenger air service aimed at business travellers. The new company, named provisionally Air Taxi, would operate a fleet of business jets and provide a shuttle service between Damascus, Beirut and cities in the region, including Amman, Jeddah, Sharm El-Sheikh (in Egypt), Istanbul and Athens.
The move follows a feasibility study by a Lebanese team which estimated that the new venture would require an initial investment of $80 million.
The joint venture has been approved by Syrian and Lebanese aviation officials during talks in Damascus, but details of how the required capital would be raised and how many aircraft would be needed have not been revealed.
The two national carriers of Syria and Lebanon - Syrian Arab Airlines and Middle East Airlines (MEA) - provide regular services between the two countries and other destinations in the region. Air Taxi will "provide many more options and greater flexibility for the business traveller", says a Lebanese official.
Source: Flight International
