Italy’s national airline, ITA Airways, has made a significant move by resuming direct nonstop flights to Tripoli, Libya, becoming the first Western European carrier to do so after a 10-year hiatus. The airline announced on January 12, 2025, that it will be operating two direct flights per week connecting Rome’s Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport (FCO) with Tripoli’s Mitiga International Airport (MJI).

In a statement, ITA Airways General Manager Andrea Benassi expressed pride in launching this new route, emphasizing the importance of strengthening commercial and cultural ties between Libya and Italy to enhance bilateral relations between the two countries. The inaugural event at Fiumicino International Airport was graced by the presence of various Italian dignitaries, including the Mayor of Fiumicino, officials from the Italian Civil Aviation Authority, among others, as reported by Libyan News Agency (LANA).

The decision to resume the route follows a visit to Tripoli by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in October 2024, during which both nations signed cooperation agreements focusing on development, investment, and infrastructure, according to local media sources.

The resumption of flights to Libya by international carriers had significantly decreased after the civil war in 2014, resulting in the country being split into rival eastern and western administrations following the demise of its former leader, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.

As of October 2024, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has advised against flying within Libyan airspace due to a "hazardous security situation," the "presence of terrorist organizations," and ongoing "military operations" until April 30, 2025.