Syrianair (RB, Damascus) has acquired an Il-18 and a Il-76 for use on internal flights Syria's official SANA news agency has reported. According to the country's Ministry of Transport, the two Ilyushin Design Bureau aircraft will be used on flights connecting the capital Damascus with the coastal town of Latakia and Kameshli in the north eastern Hasaka province.

In a bid to stimulate demand amid an intensifying civil war, the Syrian government last month slashed passenger air fares by 50% while offering a 10% discount to all firms using the carrier's international cargo services.

The carrier operates six A320-200s, two ATR72-500s, three Tu-134Bs, five An-26s, five Yak-40s, and two IL-76Ts.