Members of the ground personnel pose for a commemorative picture in front of a Syrian Air aircraft set for take off for the northern city of Aleppo, at the Damascus international airport, Wednesday, as the first flight since the ouster of Syria's president Bashar al-Assad took off. Thirty-two people including journalists were on board the plane. AFP-Yonhap

The first flight since the ouster of Syria's president Bashar al-Assad took off on Wednesday from Damascus airport to Aleppo in the country's north, AFP journalists saw.

Forty-three people including journalists were on board the Syrian Air plane.

Assad fled Syria as a lightning rebel offensive launched on Nov. 27 wrested city after city from his control.

His army and security forces abandoned Damascus airport on Dec. 8 and until Wednesday no flights had taken off or landed.

Earlier this week, airport staff painted the three-star independence flag on planes, a symbol of the 2011 uprising now adopted by the transitional authorities.

In the terminal, the new flag also replaced the one linked to Assad's era.

An airport official told AFP on condition of anonymity that international flights would resume on December 24, following maintenance work.

Syrian Air has a fleet of 12 planes, but only two — both Airbus 320s — are operational, said maintenance official Samer Radi, citing missing spare parts due to international sanctions. (AFP)