By AFP – Paris
Al Arabiya, 5 March 2012 – Air France has canceled its Paris-Damascus flight on Monday because of unrest linked to ongoing protests against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

“Flight AF-570 is canceled because of the situation in Syria,” a spokesman told AFP, saying no decision had yet been taken on flights later in the week.

The plane’s return flight from Damascus, scheduled to land in Paris on Tuesday, has also been canceled, the spokesman said.
“Air France has not yet taken a decision on the two other flights set for this week on Thursday and Saturday,” he said. “We are following the situation in this country very closely.”

Air France has maintained its flights schedule to Damascus since protests began in March last year. Over 7,500 people have been killed around the country since then, according to a United Nations estimate.

On Friday, France said it was closing its embassy in Syria.