After 41 Years, Washington Approves Resumption of Direct US Flights to Beirut
After 41 Years, Washington Approves Resumption of Direct US Flights to Beirut
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US President Donald Trump has announced that American airlines will be allowed to operate direct flights to Lebanon, ending a restriction that had remained in place for more than four decades since direct flights to Beirut were suspended in 1985.
The announcement followed a meeting between Trump and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the White House. Trump said he had instructed his administration to take the necessary steps to authorize US airlines to resume direct services to Lebanon, a move aimed at making travel to the country easier for American citizens.
The decision brings renewed attention to the 1985 hijacking of a TWA aircraft traveling from Athens to Rome with more than 150 people on board. Hijackers forced the crew to divert the plane to Beirut, triggering a hostage crisis that lasted 17 days.
During the crisis, the aircraft moved between Beirut and Algiers, and one US Navy serviceman was killed. The incident became one of the major events influencing US aviation policies toward Lebanon in the following decades.
Despite changes in US administrations and evolving political and security conditions in the region, direct American flights to Beirut remained suspended for years.
The new decision marks a potential restoration of direct air connectivity between the United States and Lebanon after 41 years of restrictions, allowing travelers between the two countries to avoid routes requiring transit through third-country airports.
