Syria is interested in purchasing Russia's new MC-21 passenger jets and seeks priority in becoming the first buyer, Transport Minister Ali Hammoud has said, according to Sputnik.

"We have asked the friendly Russian side so that Syria could have the right of being the first in buying these aircraft," the minister said.

According to the minister, Syrian airlines will need more jets when they resume air survives to Europe.

The MC-21 jets are developed by the Irkut Corporation. Preparing assembly lines for the serial manufacture of MC-21 is currently underway.

The Syrian Ministry of Transport is considering the possibility of expanding the Damascus airport or building a new one in cooperation with Russia, the ministry's head added.

"We are cooperating with the Russian side on the issue of expanding the Damascus International Airport or building a new one to replace the current one," Hammoud said, adding that a Syrian analytic company was commissioned to compare the two options, and the most advantageous one would be chosen afterward.