Fly Cham Opens New Syria-Libya Link With Weekly Tripoli Flights
Syrian carrier Fly Cham has expanded into North Africa with a new nonstop route connecting Damascus International Airport (DAM) with Mitiga International Airport in Tripoli (MJI).
The service began on April 25, 2026, and continues throughout the Northern Summer 2026 schedule. Flights operate once weekly on Saturdays using an Airbus A320-200.
Although the frequency is limited, the route restores a direct air connection between the Syrian and Libyan capitals. It also gives Fly Cham its first scheduled destination in Libya as the relatively young airline continues building its international network from Damascus Airport (DAM).
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According to the published Fly Cham schedule, the airline operates the route under flight numbers XH361 and XH362.
Fly Cham’s Damascus–Tripoli Schedule
The weekly service operates at the following local times:
| Flight | Route | Departure | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|
| XH361 | Damascus Airport (DAM)–Mitiga Airport (MJI) | 5:00 p.m. | 7:30 p.m. |
| XH362 | Mitiga Airport (MJI)–Damascus Airport (DAM) | 8:30 p.m. | 12:15 a.m. the following day |
Flight XH361 is scheduled for three hours and 30 minutes westbound. The return flight, XH362, has a scheduled block time of two hours and 45 minutes.
The difference partly reflects the one-hour time-zone change between Syria and Libya, as well as normal variations in winds and air traffic routing.
The two airports are approximately 1,166 nautical miles, or 1,342 statute miles, apart. That places the route comfortably within the normal operating capabilities of Fly Cham’s Airbus A320 fleet.
The schedule gives the aircraft a one-hour turnaround at Mitiga Airport (MJI), allowing Fly Cham to operate the complete round trip with one aircraft and crew rotation from Damascus Airport (DAM).
Mitiga Is the Main Airport Serving Tripoli
Fly Cham is serving Mitiga International Airport (MJI), not the larger Tripoli International Airport (TIP) located south of the Libyan capital.
Mitiga International Airport is located approximately five miles east of central Tripoli. It has handled most of the capital’s scheduled passenger flights since Tripoli International Airport (TIP) was severely damaged during fighting in 2014.
Mitiga Airport (MJI) began as a military airfield and continues to support both civilian and military operations. Its primary runway, 11/29, is approximately 11,076 feet long, providing more than enough runway for fully loaded Airbus A320-family aircraft.
The airport has gradually rebuilt its international network despite Libya’s continuing political and security challenges. Its current airline portfolio includes Turkish Airlines, Royal Jordanian, EgyptAir, Tunisair, ITA Airways and several Libyan carriers.
Fly Cham’s arrival adds Damascus Airport (DAM) to a network that is otherwise concentrated heavily on destinations in North Africa, the Middle East and Turkey.
The Airbus A320 Is Well Matched to the Route
Fly Cham operates the Damascus Airport (DAM)-Mitiga Airport (MJI) service with the Airbus A320-200.
The twin-engine, single-aisle aircraft is widely used for short- and medium-haul routes. Depending on cabin layout, an A320 can typically accommodate between 140 and 180 passengers.
Public fleet records show that Fly Cham operates several A320s in dual-class configurations containing approximately 150 to 156 seats. The layouts generally include 12 Business Class seats, with the remaining capacity assigned to Economy Class.
The airline has not guaranteed one specific cabin layout for every Tripoli departure, so passenger capacity may vary depending on which aircraft is scheduled.
The Airbus A320 family has considerably more range than required for the approximately 1,166-nautical-mile journey. Its size allows Fly Cham to carry a commercially useful number of passengers without introducing the higher operating costs of a widebody aircraft.
A once-weekly frequency also gives the airline time to test the market before committing additional aircraft capacity.
A Modest but Strategically Useful Route
One weekly flight will not create a high-frequency business shuttle between Syria and Libya. It does, however, serve passenger demand that would otherwise require at least one connection.
Potential travelers include people visiting friends and relatives, business travelers, government employees and passengers moving between Syrian and Libyan communities.
The Saturday schedule may also be useful for travelers planning longer stays. However, it provides little flexibility for short business trips or passengers whose plans change unexpectedly.
If demand develops, Fly Cham could increase the route to two or more weekly flights without changing the basic aircraft type or operating model. The airline has not announced plans for additional frequencies.
The modest initial schedule limits financial exposure. Rather than filling an A320 several times per week from the outset, Fly Cham can evaluate passenger volumes, fares and seasonal patterns through a single weekly rotation.
Fly Cham Is a Relatively New Airline
Fly Cham describes itself as a private Syrian commercial airline established in May 2025 through a partnership involving Syrian and Emirati investors.
The carrier began operations later that year from Damascus International Airport (DAM), using Airbus A320 aircraft on regional and international routes.
Fly Cham emerged after Cham Wings Airlines ceased operating under its previous brand. Reuters reported that several former Cham Wings aircraft were repainted and transferred into the Fly Cham operation as part of a broader restructuring of Syrian businesses after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government.
Fly Cham maintains that it is a new company, although its initial fleet, personnel and operating foundation had significant connections to Cham Wings.
The airline now serves destinations across the Middle East, North Africa, Turkey and surrounding markets from Damascus Airport (DAM) and Aleppo International Airport (ALP).
Tripoli Airport (MJI) expands that footprint farther west and gives the airline access to another market with limited nonstop connectivity.
Damascus Airport Is Rebuilding Its International Network
The launch comes as Damascus International Airport (DAM) continues recovering from more than a decade of war, sanctions and international airline withdrawals.
International passenger operations resumed in early 2025 after being temporarily suspended during the change in Syria’s government. Since then, Syrian and foreign airlines have gradually restored service.
Fly Cham has been one of the more active participants in that recovery, adding routes from Damascus Airport (DAM) while larger international carriers continue evaluating the country’s infrastructure, security and regulatory environment.
Syria has also announced major investment plans for Damascus Airport (DAM), including a proposed multibillion-dollar redevelopment intended to increase capacity substantially over the coming years.
The Tripoli route remains small within that broader aviation recovery, but it demonstrates how regional carriers are reconnecting Syria with markets that were difficult to reach during the civil war.
Operational Reliability Will Be Important
Both ends of the route have experienced periods of instability and short-notice operational disruption.
Damascus Airport (DAM) has previously closed because of military activity, infrastructure damage and regional airspace restrictions. Mitiga Airport (MJI) has also faced temporary shutdowns during fighting around Tripoli.
That operating environment can make a once-weekly flight vulnerable. If one Saturday service is canceled, passengers may have to wait an entire week for the next Fly Cham departure unless the airline adds a recovery flight or arranges travel through another carrier.
Passengers should therefore monitor their reservations and confirm schedules directly with Fly Cham before traveling.
Bottom Line
Fly Cham has added a weekly nonstop service between Damascus International Airport (DAM) and Mitiga International Airport in Tripoli (MJI).
Flights began on April 25, 2026, and operate every Saturday with an Airbus A320-200. Flight XH361 leaves Damascus Airport (DAM) at 5:00 p.m., while the return flight XH362 departs Mitiga Airport (MJI) at 8:30 p.m.
The route is a relatively small addition, with only one round trip per week. Its importance comes from restoring a direct connection between two capitals that have limited links to the wider international aviation system.
For Fly Cham, Tripoli Airport (MJI) adds another country to a network that has expanded rapidly since the airline began operating in 2025.
The limited schedule suggests that Fly Cham is approaching the market cautiously. If the route attracts strong visiting-friends-and-relatives, business and government traffic, the airline has room to add frequencies without changing from the A320 aircraft already used across its network.
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