Plans to convert Damascus military airfield into private jet hub spark rights‑group outcry over mass graves

Syria’s civil aviation authority announced plans to reclassify the former Mezzeh military airport on the outskirts of Damascus for limited civilian use, focusing on private and executive aviation. The move is intended to create a hub for private jets that would complement the capacity of Damascus International Airport. State news agency SANA reported that rubble removal and infrastructure upgrades at the site have already begun.

The redevelopment proposal has drawn criticism from human‑rights groups and local residents who warn that construction could disturb areas believed to contain mass graves. They also contend that the project may override private land claims that have been pending for years. The concerns reflect broader anxieties about how the government will handle unresolved issues stemming from decades of expropriation and forced disappearances.

Mezzeh airport was historically linked to the Air Force Intelligence Directorate, which under the rule of Bashar al‑Assad and his father Hafez al‑Assad operated key branches of the intelligence service and housed several detention facilities. Those facilities have been accused of subjecting suspected government opponents to torture, execution and enforced disappearance.

Documents obtained by the Syria Justice and Accountability Centre, a US‑based Syrian‑led human‑rights organization, detail the presence of detention sites and alleged burial locations within the former base. The centre says the records show that the area was used for presidential and other official flights as well as for intelligence operations.

Rights advocates argue that the redevelopment could jeopardise potential investigations into the missing persons and the identification of mass burial sites. They stress the need for thorough forensic assessment before any further construction proceeds.

The government’s initiative is being watched as an indicator of how Syria’s new authorities will balance a drive to attract investment and redevelop state assets with the legacy of missing Syrians and contested property rights dating back to the Assad era.Syria’s civil aviation authority announced plans to reclassify the former Mezzeh military airport on the outskirts of Damascus for limited civilian use, focusing on private and executive aviation. The move is intended to create a hub for private jets that would complement the capacity of Damascus International Airport. State news agency SANA reported that rubble removal and infrastructure upgrades at the site have already begun.

The redevelopment proposal has drawn criticism from human‑rights groups and local residents who warn that construction could disturb areas believed to contain mass graves. They also contend that the project may override private land claims that have been pending for years. The concerns reflect broader anxieties about how the government will handle unresolved issues stemming from decades of expropriation and forced disappearances.

Mezzeh airport was historically linked to the Air Force Intelligence Directorate, which under the rule of Bashar al‑Assad and his father Hafez al‑Assad operated key branches of the intelligence service and housed several detention facilities. Those facilities have been accused of subjecting suspected government opponents to torture, execution and enforced disappearance.

Documents obtained by the Syria Justice and Accountability Centre, a US‑based Syrian‑led human‑rights organization, detail the presence of detention sites and alleged burial locations within the former base. The centre says the records show that the area was used for presidential and other official flights as well as for intelligence operations.

Rights advocates argue that the redevelopment could jeopardise potential investigations into the missing persons and the identification of mass burial sites. They stress the need for thorough forensic assessment before any further construction proceeds.

The government’s initiative is being watched as an indicator of how Syria’s new authorities will balance a drive to attract investment and redevelop state assets with the legacy of missing Syrians and contested property rights dating back to the Assad era.