Jordan’s state carrier, Royal Jordanian, will resume direct flights to Damascus from Oct. 3 for the first time in nearly a decade in the latest step to restore extensive business ties with Syria hurt by the conflict, officials said. Flights had been suspended at the start of the decade-old conflict in Syria even though other airlines continued to fly to Amman from Damascus. The decision was part of several steps taken at the end of a two-day ministerial meeting held in Amman between the two countries on boosting trade, investment and transport ties. Jordan will fully reopen its main border crossing with Syria from Wednesday after imposing pandemic-related restrictions, Jordanian government and industry officials said on Monday. Before the conflict in Syria, the Nasib-Jaber crossing was a transit route for hundreds of trucks a day transporting goods between Europe and Turkey and the Gulf Although the Jaber crossing has been open since 2018 after the Syrian government drove rebels from southern Syria, trade has yet to recover to the $1 billion pre-war level. The kingdom hopes cross border trade and renewed transport links will help boost its debt ridden economy hurt by a steep economic contraction last year from the impact of COVID-19.