THY to resume flights to Libya after decade-long hiatus

ANKARA

Türkiye’s leading airline company is set to resume flights to Libya 10 years after Turkish Airlines (THY) halted its operations due to turmoil in the North African country.

Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, who leads the Tripoli-based government, expressed gratitude for the decision, stating, "Praise be to God. After a hiatus of about 10 years, Turkish Airlines will resume their flights to Libya starting next week."

Dbeibah emphasized that THY's initiation of flights to Libya signifies “a beacon of stability in the nation,” extending thanks to the Civil Aviation Authority and all relevant institutions for their contributions to this endeavor.

THY's Chief Executive Bilal Ekşi also affirmed that flights will operate three times a week, with tickets for the Tripoli route already on sale.

Libya plunged into chaos after an uprising toppled and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. In the chaos that followed, the country split, with rival administrations in the east and west backed by rogue militias and foreign governments.

Commercial flights between Italy and conflict-torn Libya also resumeed  last September after the Italian government agreed to lift a 10-year-long ban on civil aviation in the North African nation.

Most of European countries banned Libyan flights from their airspace as the country descended into chaos.