Italy’s national carrier ITA Airways plans to resume direct flights between Rome Fiumicino Airport and Mitiga International Airport starting in September, marking a significant step in restoring air connectivity between Libya and Europe.
According to the Swiss aviation data platform ch-aviation, flights are scheduled to begin on 3 September, operating twice weekly using Airbus A319-100 aircraft. The move signals renewed confidence in Libya’s aviation sector despite ongoing regulatory restrictions.
ITA Airways, partly owned by Lufthansa Group, had previously resumed flights to Libya in early 2025. It became the first major European airline to return to the Libyan market since 2014, before suspending operations again in October due to operational challenges.
Air traffic between Libya and Italy experienced a prolonged disruption from 2014 to 2023, following a European Union ban on Libyan carriers. This restriction forced Libyan travellers to rely on foreign airlines and complicated transit routes, significantly affecting business travel, tourism, and family connections across the Mediterranean.
The Government of National Unity, led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, previously welcomed the arrival of the first direct Rome–Tripoli flight as a sign of gradual recovery in the country’s aviation sector.
However, the European Commission renewed its ban in June, citing persistent concerns over aviation safety and security standards in Libya. This comes despite the end of major conflict in 2020 and improvements in airport infrastructure.
Currently, the European Union blacklist includes several Libyan airlines, notably Libyan Airlines and Afriqiyah Airways, which remain prohibited from operating flights to and from EU member states.
