Aleppo airport to the city centre

Aleppo International Airport sits east of the city, 7 km from the centre, and the drive takes 20 to 25 minutes depending on traffic. That is a quarter of the distance you cover at Damascus, and it has a practical consequence: a short run should cost a short fare. Two ways go into town, a taxi or a car arranged by your hotel. There is no scheduled bus route.

Taxis and what to pay

Taxis wait outside the arrivals hall. Meters do not run and there is no official tariff, so the price is settled before you get in. We could not find a figure being quoted for Aleppo, and the only honest route is to work back from Damascus. There, for a 30 km run, the sums being talked about fall between 1500 and 2500 new pounds. The Aleppo road is a quarter of that distance, though on short trips the base fare weighs heavier. A reasonable starting point is 750 to 1250 new pounds: at the rate of 28 August 2026 (1 dollar to 131 pounds) roughly 6 to 10 dollars, or about 290 to 480 Turkish lira. This is a calculation, not a price anyone quoted us — treat it as an order of magnitude and ask two drivers when you land.

New pounds or old

In January 2026 two zeros came off the currency and both sets of figures are still spoken. A driver saying “a hundred thousand” means old pounds, which is a thousand of today’s. When you hear a number, ask which pound it is; that single question settles half the bargaining. The daily rate is published at sp-today.com, and checking it before you leave the plane means you argue with a figure rather than a guess. Our page on money and cash in Syria explains the change in full.

What is inside the terminal

There is one passenger terminal, four floors, built before the war for well over a million passengers a year. Inside you will find an exchange counter, cafes and a duty-free area. Do not count on the cash machines: they do not pay out on foreign cards, and card payment does not exist in the country. Change only enough for the taxi and the first day at the counter, and do the rest in town. A Syriatel or MTN line needs your passport and entry stamp; our page on SIM cards and internet in Syria lists what the shop asks for.

Who flies in

The northern air corridors reopened in March 2026 and Aleppo picked up routes quickly after that. Scheduled carriers landing at the terminal now include Turkish Airlines, AJet, Pegasus, SunExpress, Royal Jordanian, Qatar Airways, Syrian Air and Fly Cham. Four more routes opened over the summer of 2026: Jazeera Airways to Kuwait on 25 June, Air Arabia to Sharjah on 4 July, flydubai to Dubai on 20 July and flynas to Riyadh on 1 August.

The frequencies say one thing clearly: by air, the city closest to Aleppo is Istanbul. Sabiha Gokcen and Istanbul airport lead the monthly counts, with Amman and Sharjah behind them. Antalya, Izmir, Bucharest and Cologne are on the board too.

Hours and night arrivals

Flights cluster into a morning group and an evening group; late-night arrivals are few. If you are landing at night, settle two things beforehand: ask the hotel to send a car, and confirm the fare by phone. Bargaining after dark leaves you weak, because the other side knows you have no alternative.

Where to head in the city

The airport road enters Aleppo from the east. The old city, the Citadel and the souqs are central; the Jdeideh quarter lies to the north, and most places to stay sit in those two areas. Naming a quarter works far better with a driver than naming a street — our page on maps and navigation in Syria explains why addresses here rest on landmarks. Keep the hotel’s name and the building next to it written down.

Coming from Turkey

For a visitor travelling from Turkey, Aleppo is the easier of the two cities: Istanbul and Antalya connect directly. On the land side, Turkey’s gates into Syria are closed to third-country tourists while Turkish citizens can cross; our page on entering Syria from Turkey sets out how each gate works. Turkish lira can be changed in Aleppo, but the rate is not as good as it is for dollars, so bring the main sum in dollars or euros.