TRIPOLI: In a major development, a flight bound for Rome took off from Libya’s capital on Saturday, marking the resumption of flights to Italy after almost ten years of suspension due to a European Union ban. Libyan authorities in Tripoli confirmed the departure, signifying a significant step towards normalizing air travel between the two nations.
GNU: Flights from Tripoli to Rome will resume on Saturday after a 10 year halthttps://t.co/U7l0uQyGSP #Libya #Italy #ليبيا pic.twitter.com/CBUFRT4Bpv
— Alwasat Libya (@alwasatengnews) September 29, 2023
The European Union had imposed a ban in 2014, halting flights operated by Libyan airlines and prohibiting their entry into member states’ airspace. This decision came during a period of intense fighting in the North African country. Saturday’s flight, operated by Libya-based Medsky Airways, departed from Tripoli’s Mitiga airport. Medsky Airways, established in 2022, now offers a twice-weekly direct connection to the Italian capital.
Libya’s UN-recognized government expressed its dedication to lifting the European ban on Libyan civil aviation, citing the resumption of flights as a result of intensive government efforts. Notably, it remains unclear how Medsky Airways managed to circumvent the still-active EU ban.
Libya-Italy Resume Air Traffic
In early July, Prime Minister Abdelhamid Dbeibah of the Tripoli-based government announced that the Italian government had informed Libya of its decision to lift the air embargo, a move that has now become a reality with the resumption of flights.
Italy, as Libya’s former colonial power, and the Mediterranean island nation of Malta are currently the only European countries to have reestablished flights with Libya. Rome has not officially commented on this development. For almost a decade, Libyans had to transit through cities like Tunis, Istanbul, or Cairo to reach Europe by air.
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