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2 clusters · 13 sources · 7 days · First seen · Last updated

US-Lebanon direct flight restoration efforts

Overview

In late September 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump signed presidential order No. 2026-25, lifting long-standing restrictions on direct air travel between the United States and Lebanon. The order revoked several previous decisions dating back to 1985, with the administration determining that security measures originally implemented following a TWA hijacking were no longer necessary. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called the move a “demonstration of confidence” in Lebanese aviation security.

However, the initiative to reinstate direct routes has faced delays due to safety concerns at Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport. A report from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) identified critical deficiencies, noting that the airport’s firefighting capabilities are currently limited to single-aisle aircraft and that its conditional certification has expired. The airport also lacks a formal emergency response plan. While the presidential order remains in place, the resumption of long-haul flights is now contingent on further safety evaluations by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

Entities

Donald Trump · Joseph Aoun · Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport · Federal Aviation Administration · United States

Timeline

  1. [INTERNATIONAL] 5 sources
    Beirut airport safety issues stall US-Lebanon flight initiative

    A UN aviation report has identified safety and certification deficiencies at Beirut’s main airport, complicating US President Trump’s initiative to restore direct flights between the US and Lebanon.

  2. [INTERNATIONAL] 9 sources
    Donald Trump lifts U.S.-Lebanon flight restrictions

    U.S. President Donald Trump has revoked long-standing restrictions on direct flights between the U.S. and Lebanon, paving the way for the resumption of air travel after decades of security-related bans.

Sources

24sata.info · 6yka.com · al-monitor.com · alaraby.co.uk · alsaudi.news · businesstoday.me · ch23.com · dailynewslb.com · econoTimes.com · insajder.net · jornaleconomico.sapo.pt · thecsrjournal.in · thelocalreport.in