CAIRO: Commercial flights between Libya and Italy will resume in September after the government of Italy agreed to lift a ban on civil aviation in the African country, Arab media reported on Sunday.
Prime Minister of the Tripoli-based Government Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah said on his social media account that the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni informed them about the decision. The Prime Minister called the development a “breakthrough.”
Italy, Libya will Resume Commercial Flights in September
The development came following Italian and Libyan aviation officials held a meeting on Sunday in Tripoli to discuss the restoration of direct flights between the two nations, the Italian Embassy in Libya said.
Oil-rich African country plunged into civil war following a NATO-sponsored uprising toppled and killed longtime ruler Muammar Qaddafi in 2011. In the confusion that followed, the African country split into rival governments in the west and east, each backed by foreign governments and rogue militias.
Several European countries, including Italy, banned Libyan flights from their airspace. Over the past ten years, the African country has had direct flights to limited countries including neighbouring Tunisia, Egypt, and other Arab countries like Jordan.
In a statement, a Libyan government confirmed that the two sides have agreed that one airliner from each country would operate flights starting in September.
