Syrian Arab Airlines placed an order for 2 Boeing 747SPs on December 06, 1974. Unlike most international airlines these two aircraft were to be used on the airline's medium range high density routes. Rolled out at Everett on March 23, 1976 with Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7A engines it was entered onto the Syrian Aircraft Register as YK-AHA. Although being the ninth SP to be built it was the eighth of its type to fly when it performed its maiden flight on April 15, 1976.

Accepted by Syrian Air at Paine Field on May 21, 1976 the aircraft was named 'November 16'. It entered service shortly thereafter mainly on the Damascus - London route. By November 1988  it had acquired a modified livery with an all-grey underside and was seen as such at London's Heathrow Airport and Munich.

The aircraft was repainted in 2003 and it was observed at London's Heathrow Airport on March 28, 2003 in the new livery. The aircraft was noted as being retired on December 01, 2007 and stored at Damascus with other Syrian Air aircraft.

On October 06, 2010 the United States Government authorised Boeing to carry out an assessment on the two 747SPs owned by Syrian Air to establish if they could be returned to airworthy status as a result of improved diplomatic relations between the two countries. The outcome of this inspection has not been released at the time of writing.