Italy’s Civil Aviation Authority and Benghazi’s Benina International Airport have signed six new agreements designed to modernize Libya’s aviation sector and reinforce bilateral cooperation.
The accords were finalized in Benghazi in the presence of Pierluigi Di Palma, president of Italy’s Civil Aviation Authority, and build on the framework agreement signed in December 2023 in Tripoli.
The new deals include commitments to develop a regional aviation network, purchase new aircraft, expand cargo and logistics services, improve maintenance operations, and establish infrastructure to support the transport of goods and personnel across civilian, agricultural, and industrial sectors. Together, they mark one of the most significant Italian-Libyan collaborations in civil aviation in years.
A large Italian delegation of entrepreneurs and representatives from leading aviation and logistics firms joined the event, along with Italy’s Consul General in Benghazi, Francesco Saverio De Luigi, and Fabio Giudici, head of the economic and trade office at the Italian Embassy in Tripoli. From the Libyan side, the group was welcomed by Al-Qasim Haftar, chairman of the Libyan Reconstruction and Development Fund, underscoring Libya’s commitment to modernizing its infrastructure through international partnerships.
This renewed cooperation comes after direct commercial flights between Libya and Italy resumed in early 2025 through ITA Airways and Libya’s Medsky Airlines, ending years of isolation in the air travel sector. The agreements are seen as a natural continuation of this progress, restoring Libya’s connectivity with Europe and opening new avenues for trade, tourism, and investment.
Pierluigi Di Palma described the accords as “a tool for integration, dialogue, and the strengthening of relations with a nation bound to Italy by historic friendship and cooperation.” He emphasized that civil aviation is more than just transport infrastructure—it is a platform for cultural exchange and economic development.
Earlier meetings in Rome between the Italian delegation and Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Edoardo Rixi highlighted that air transport remains central to Italy’s strategy of deepening ties with Libya, while also supporting broader regional stability.
