EgyptAir to use larger planes to evacuate civilians from Syria
Airline to replace smaller Boeing 737s with Airbus 330s to shuttle more people out of Damascus and Aleppo
EgyptAir announced that it will begin using larger planes in order to transport more Egyptians and Syrians wishing to flee Syria, the Egyptian Independent reported on Sunday.
Airbus 330s, which accommodate 265 passengers, will service the airline’s Damascus and Aleppo routes instead of the Boeing 737, which carries only 150, EgyptAir CEO Ayman Nasser was quoted by the paper saying.
According to the Egyptian Independent, Egyptians wishing to leave war-torn Syria have been coordinating their evacuation with the Egyptian embassy in Damascus.
Syria has been in the throes of violence since March 2011, during which time opposition sources claim that more than 20,000 civilians have been killed by President Bashar Assad’s army. More than 200,000 Syrians, including many high ranking officials and military personnel, have fled the country, mostly to neighboring Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan.