First international commercial flight since Assad's ouster lands at Syria's main airport

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — The first international commercial flight since the fall of former Syrian President Bashar Assad landed Tuesday at the Damascus airport.

The Qatar Airways flight landed at Damascus International Airport, greeted by the passengers' relatives and friends inside a terminal building.

Ashad al-Suleibi, head of Syria’s Air Transport Authority, said Qatar had provided assistance in rehabilitating the airport, which had suffered from years of neglect as well as sustaining damages from periodic Israeli airstrikes.

“Honestly, there was a lot of damage from the (Assad) regime to this lively area and this lively airport and also the Aleppo airport,” he said.

Many passengers were Syrian nationals coming come for the first time in more than a decade.

Osama Musalama, who came from the United States, said it was his first visit since before the civil war that started in 2011.

“I lost hope that I would come back to Syria,” he said. “We were waiting for this moment and lost hope, but thank God now the country is back to its people.”

Separately, Jordanian state-run Petra news agency reported that a Royal Jordanian Airlines plane departed for Damascus on a test flight. The head of Jordan's Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission, Capt. Haitham Misto, who was on board the flight with a team of specialists, said that the aim was to evaluate the technical condition of Damascus airport before resuming regular flights.

Since the lightning rebel offensive that unseated Assad a month ago, Arab and Western countries that had cut off relations with the former government have been reopening diplomatic relations with Syria’s new de facto authorities, headed by the Islamist former insurgent group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS.

Syria’s new foreign minister, Asaad al-Shibani, has traveled to Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in recent days. The Gulf countries are likely to be key to funding Syria’s reconstruction after nearly 14 years of civil war that preceded Assad's ouster.

On Tuesday, al-Shibani traveled to Jordan to meet with his counterpart in Amman. Jordan's foreign ministry said the officials were set to discuss “mechanisms of cooperation in many areas including borders, security, energy, transportation, water, trade and other vital sectors.”

Under Assad's rule, Jordan had been a main conduit for smuggling highly addictive Captagon amphetamines produced in Syria into Gulf states, which was a point of tension between the two countries.

Syria's new authorities have made a show of cracking down on the Captagon trade, dismantling former factories in locations including the Mazzeh air base in Damascus, a car trading company in Latakia and a factory that once made snack chips in the Damascus suburb of Douma.

“The new situation in Syria has also ended the threats that previously threatened the security of the Kingdom (of Jordan), with regard to drugs and Captagon, and we pledge that this thing has ended and will not return again," al-Shibani said in a joint news conference with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi.

Al-Safadi said that his country supports the Syrian people as they work to “rebuild their homeland on the foundations that preserve its security, stability, sovereignty and unity and fulfill the rights of its people,” adding that Jordan is “ready to provide electricity to our brothers immediately, and we are also ready to work together to provide gas.”

Syria, targeted by stringent Western sanctions, has been in a prolonged economic crisis and Syrians receive only a few hours of state-provided electricity per day.

Omar Akour reported from Amman, Jordan. Abby Sewell contributed to this report from Beirut.

A man who arrived at a first international commercial flight since the fall of former Syrian President Bashar Assad, covers himself with the Syrian "Revolutionary" flag as he checks in at the arrival terminal of Damascus international airport, in Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)

A Syrian man hugs a relative at the arrival terminal, after a first international commercial flight since the fall of former Syrian President Bashar Assad landed at Damascus international airport, in Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)

A Syrian passenger who arrived at a first international commercial flight since the fall of former Syrian President Bashar Assad, receives a coffee at the arrival terminal of Damascus international airport, in Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)

People wait to receive their relatives at the arrival terminal, after a first international commercial flight since the fall of former Syrian President Bashar Assad landed at Damascus international airport, in Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)

Passengers who arrived at a first international commercial flight since the fall of former Syrian President Bashar Assad, wait to receive their luggages at the arrival terminal of Damascus international airport, in Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)

A Syrian woman who arrived at a first international commercial flight since the fall of former Syrian President Bashar Assad shouts anti-Assad slogans at the arrival terminal of Damascus international airport, in Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)

People wait to receive their relatives at the arrival terminal, after a first international commercial flight since the fall of former Syrian President Bashar Assad landed at Damascus international airport, in Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)

Qatar Airways plane a first international commercial flight since the fall of former Syrian President Bashar Assad, landing at Damascus international airport arriving from Qatar, in Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)

People wait to receive their relatives at the arrival terminal, after a first international commercial flight since the fall of former Syrian President Bashar Assad landed at Damascus international airport, in Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)

Qatar Airways plane, background, a first international commercial flight since the fall of former Syrian President Bashar Assad, lands at Damascus international airport arriving from Qatar, in Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Trae Young hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from beyond the halfcourt line to give the Atlanta Hawks a 124-121 victory over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night.

Young took an inbounds pass, dribbled to just short of halfcourt and hit the 49-foot winner as time expired while being loosely guarded by Collin Sexton, who had seemingly forced overtime with a tying 3-pointer with four seconds remaining.

Young finished with 24 points and 20 assists. Dyson Daniels added 16 points, seven assists, and six rebounds for the Hawks, who snapped a three-game skid. Clint Capela scored 18 points and De’Andre Hunter 17.

Lauri Markkanen made a season-high eight 3-pointers and scored a season-best 35 points for Utah. Sexton added 24 points and Walker Kessler finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds.

Utah scored on five straight possessions and took a 114-113 lead on back-to-back dunks from Kessler. Young hit a step-back 3-pointer to put Atlanta back in front, and fed De’Andre Hunter for another go-ahead 3 with 1:57 left.

Hawks: Atlanta used a balanced attack with seven players scoring in double figures.

Jazz: Utah fell behind by 14 points in the first quarter and 16 in the second before battling back both times and making it a one-possession game by halftime.

Young’s heave at the buzzer snapped the Hawks' skid and was the team's fifth in its last eight games.

Utah has won just twice in 15 home games.

The Hawks finish a six-game road swing at Phoenix on Thursday. The Jazz host Miami on Thursday.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) blocks the shot of Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rob Gray)

Utah Jazz guard Collin Sexton (2) shoots a three-point shot over Atlanta Hawks guard Vit Krejci (27) to tie the game with three seconds left in an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rob Gray)

Atlanta Hawks forward De'Andre Hunter (12) shoots against Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rob Gray)

Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) dunks the ball against the Atlanta Hawks during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rob Gray)

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young reacts to a game winning half court shot against the Utah Jazz during an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rob Gray)

The Atlanta Hawks celebrate a game winning half court shot against the Utah Jazz during an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rob Gray)

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) shoots a three point shot from half court over Utah Jazz guard Collin Sexton (2) at the buzzer to win an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rob Gray)