Lebanon hailed US President Donald Trump’s announcement that he ordered all American airlines to resume direct flights to Lebanon.
He made the announcement earlier this week following a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the White House.
The move carries political, economic and security significance, reflecting a shift in the way the US views Lebanon and paving the way for a new chapter in relations.
All US flights were suspended in 1985 after the hijacking of TWA Flight 847 from Athens, Greece, en route to Rome, Italy. The flight was forced to land in Beirut. During the 17-day ordeal, a US Navy diver was killed. The US held Hezbollah responsible for the operation.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam expressed his gratitude to the US for resuming flights, saying his government was prepared to follow up on all the necessary executive and technical procedures required to implement it as soon as possible.
“This is a significant opportunity to bolster air travel and communication between Lebanon and the US and support the Lebanese economy,” he stressed.
Updating the travel agreement
Lebanese Transportation and Public Works Minister Fayez Rasamny said Trump’s announcement was a “historic” moment in Lebanese-US relations.
The move is not only limited to the aviation sector, but it will impact the economy, investments and tourism, he told Asharq Al-Awsat.
It will facilitate travel for Lebanese expatriates in the US and also carries a “message of trust in Lebanon and the path paved by President Aoun,” he added.
“It confirms that restoring the trust of the international community starts with a strong and effective state and partnerships that are built on mutual respect”, he stressed.
Moreover, Rasamny said that Trump’s announcement was the political step that paves the way for practical ones to resume flights.
The US will handle the necessary organizational procedures, while Lebanon, through the Ministry of Transportation and Public Works, Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Beirut International Airport Company and relevant agencies, will complete the technical, security and operational requirements, he explained.
He added that the bilateral air travel agreement signed between the two countries would need to be updated given the advancements in the industry over the past 40 years, the minister said.
With the requirements met, airlines will set the flights and schedules as needed, he added.
He stressed that Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport meets international safety and security standards.
“We are committed to continuously developing the facility to meet the global best practices in cooperation with all international partners,” he went on to say.
“The airport is technically prepared to operate direct flights to the US. All that remain are the technical and organizational measures that are part of any effort to launch a new flight route,” he continued.
Political significance
Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Public Works, Energy and Water MP Sajih Attieh said Trump’s announcement carries political significance “as it invites the whole world to follow in the US’ footsteps.”
It marks a new chapter in relations between Beirut and Washington, he told Asharq Al-Awsat.
It reflects an “American conviction that the security and logistic situation in Lebanon was suitable” to resume flights, he added.
Lebanon has a “major task” ahead of it to rise up to the occasion, he went on to say. The task will be up to the Ministry of Transportation and Public Works, Directorate General of Civil Aviation and Parliamentary Committee for Public Works, Energy and Water.
The resumption of flights will also have a major economic impact given the hundreds of thousands of Lebanese expatriates living in the US, he said.
Dr. Sami Nader, director of the Levant Institute for Strategic Affairs, said the resumption of flights ends Lebanon’s international isolation.
In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, he said Trump’s announcement is a “positive message to international financial institutions that place Lebanon on their grey list. It means that Lebanon is returning to the American and global economy.”
