Direct flights resume between Italy, Libya after a 10-year hiatus

Rome: Direct flights resumed yesterday between Rome and Tripoli after being suspended for ten years, Anadolu reported, citing Libya’s official news agency.

The first direct commercial flight between the two countries arrived at Mitiga International Airport.

The flight carried several Italian civil aviation officials, marking the resumption of services by Italy’s ITA Airways between Rome Fiumicino Airport and Tripoli. The relaunch coincided with a flight by the Libyan airline Medsky.

Italian civil aviation officials stated that ITA Airways will soon operate direct commercial flights between Italian airports and the Libyan cities of Misrata and Benghazi.

During the reception of the flight, Libyan Transport Minister Mohamed Al-Shahoubi expressed readiness to grant the Italian airline additional transport rights to connect Libyan airports with other destinations across the 27 European Union countries.

Many international airlines suspended flights to and from Libya following the fall of Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in 2011.