Rami Makhlouf Says Airline to Restart
8-Jul-09
Rami Makhlouf Says Airline to Restart
8-Jul-09
Rami Makhlouf, a prominent Syrian businessman, said that the private airline company Syrian Pearls, which he co-owns, would resume flights soon.
In a July 2 interview with the pro-government website Syria Steps, Makhlouf said that the airline was planning to rent new planes.
Last June, the company told passengers that it was suspending all flights until further notice.
According to media reports, the airline was forced to put its flights on hold after the United States put pressure on a Spanish company to stop renting it two aircraft, which used US-made engines.
Last year, Washington decided to freeze all the assets of the business mogul in the US.
In his interview, Makhlouf, who is a cousin of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, said he was relieved about the improvement of relations between his country and the US especially after Washington decided to send an ambassador to Damascus.
Despite the rapprochement between Damascus and Washington, the US decided recently to renew economic sanctions against Syria for another year.
According to the website, Makhlouf was among the Syrian businessmen who accompanied the Syrian vice prime minister, Abdallah al-Dardari, to Germany recently to examine the possibility of economic partnerships between Berlin and Damascus.
In a July 2 interview with the pro-government website Syria Steps, Makhlouf said that the airline was planning to rent new planes.
Last June, the company told passengers that it was suspending all flights until further notice.
According to media reports, the airline was forced to put its flights on hold after the United States put pressure on a Spanish company to stop renting it two aircraft, which used US-made engines.
Last year, Washington decided to freeze all the assets of the business mogul in the US.
In his interview, Makhlouf, who is a cousin of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, said he was relieved about the improvement of relations between his country and the US especially after Washington decided to send an ambassador to Damascus.
Despite the rapprochement between Damascus and Washington, the US decided recently to renew economic sanctions against Syria for another year.
According to the website, Makhlouf was among the Syrian businessmen who accompanied the Syrian vice prime minister, Abdallah al-Dardari, to Germany recently to examine the possibility of economic partnerships between Berlin and Damascus.
