Rome— ITA celebrated the resumption of its direct flights to Tripoli, with the launch of the first flight on Sunday 12 January 2025, after a hiatus of more than ten years. The ceremony took place at Fiumicino International Airport in Rome.
It is also expected that Rome will launch flights to Benghazi in eastern Libya soon. Libya’s aviation has been under a European ban that was imposed on the country for a decade. It is not clear yet whether the resumption of direct flights from Rome to Tripoli indicates easing or lifting of such ban.
Trade between the two countries exceeds 9 billion euros per year, with Italy positioning itself as the main importer, third exporter to Libya and first partner for trade in general.
The ceremony was attended by the Libyan Ambassador to Rome, the Mayor of Fiumicino, the President of the Italian Civil Aviation Authority and the Head of Air Affairs at Rome Airports, according to the Italian Embassy in Libya’s Facebook account.
The Italian embassy said the launch of the first direct flight today is “a significant step towards strengthening cooperation between Libya and Italy, and supporting civil aviation, which opens new horizons for commercial, economic and cultural exchange between the two countries.”
The launch of the Italian Airlines “ITA Airways” flights will be in cooperation with the Libyan airline “Med Sky”, the Director General of Mitiga International Airport in Tripoli, Ibrahim Farkash, said as quoted by Alwasat newspaper.
On 11 December, the opening of direct flights between Rome and Benghazi was the subject of discussion in Rome between the Director of the Development and Reconstruction Fund of Libya, Belqasim Haftar, and Italian airlines and air control officials. It was reported that a plan was drawn up to resume ITA flights to Benghazi as soon as possible.
Haftar confirmed that the Libyan side is committed to providing all needed technical requirements that would be required by technical reports undertaken in cooperation with the Italian National Civil Aviation Agency, so that Benghazi International Airport becomes ready to receive Italian airlines in eastern Libya.
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