TRIPOLI, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- Libya's eastern-based government announced on Tuesday that Turkish Airlines had resumed flights to Benghazi after a 10-year hiatus.
The move marks the return of direct flights between Benghazi and Istanbul, the eastern-based government said in a statement on its official Facebook page.
At a ceremony held at the Benina International Airport of Benghazi, Libyan civil aviation official Hisham Bo-Shkewat stressed the importance of this achievement, saying it would "facilitate movement for Libyan and Turkish citizens," according to the statement.
Turkish Airlines CEO Bilal Eksi was quoted as saying that flights will operate three times a week.
Turkish Airlines suspended its flights to Benghazi, controlled by Libya's eastern-based army led by General Khalifa Haftar, in January 2015.
On Sunday, Italy's flag carrier ITA Airways launched its first direct commercial flight to Libya's capital Tripoli, marking the resumption of air links between the two countries after more than a decade.
Most international carriers suspended operations in Libya following the 2014 civil war, which split the country between rival eastern and western administrations following the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The European Union maintains a ban on Libyan civil aviation in its airspace.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) currently advises against flights in Libyan airspace through April 2025, citing security risks from terrorist organizations and military operations. EASA permits operations only to coastal airports under strict conditions, including sea approaches and local coordination.
