Syria receives second Airbus from France

Syria on Wednesday received an Airbus A320, which is the second of six planes the Syrian airline company had contracted to buy from the French Airbus company in 1997. Syria received the first plane in October 1998.

Syrian Minister of Transport Mufid Abdul Karim and high-ranking Syrian officials were on board the plane, which arrived from France.

In a statement to reporters at Damascus airport, the minister stressed the "importance of Syria's having of such developed types of planes as means to improve its air fleet to ensure the best services to passengers."

He added that Syria will receive the other four planes within this year.

Karim expressed hopes that this new air fleet will greatly contribute to increasing the participation of the Syrian airlines company in backing the country's social and economic process and the country's GNP.