Join on WhatsApp
Join on Telegram
Stuttgart – Italy has announced the lifting of a decade-long ban on commercial flights to Libya, marking the resumption of air travel between the two nations and offering a glimmer of hope for increased connectivity amidst Libya’s ongoing conflict.
Commercial flights between Italy and Libya, which have been suspended for nearly a decade, are set to resume in September following the Italian government’s decision to lift the ban on civil aviation in the conflict-torn North African nation.
Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah, representing the Tripoli-based government, hailed the lifting of the ban as a significant breakthrough. The decision followed a meeting between Libyan and Italian aviation officials in Tripoli to discuss the restoration of direct flights and enhancing cooperation between the two countries.
The political turmoil in Libya began in 2011 after a NATO-supported uprising led to the overthrow and death of longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
The country subsequently fragmented into rival administrations in the East and West, each backed by militias and foreign governments. As a result, several European nations, including Italy, imposed bans on Libyan flights in response to the deteriorating situation in the country.
During the past ten years, limited direct flights were available from Libya to select destinations in neighboring countries such as Egypt and Tunisia, as well as certain Middle Eastern nations like Jordan.
However, Italy’s decision marks a significant step toward restoring air travel connections between the two countries.
While specific destination cities have not been disclosed in the recent announcement, both governments have agreed that one airliner from each country will operate flights starting in September.
It remains unclear, however, whether Libyan carriers will be removed from the EU blacklist, as flights between Libya and Italy were initially halted in 2014 due to the blacklisting of Libyan airlines by the European Union, which also banned them from flying over European airspace.
Apart from Italy, Malta is the only other European country to have resumed flights with Libya, emphasizing the significance of this development in reestablishing air travel connections between Libya and European nations.
