Flights between the two Maghreb countries have been suspended since 2015 due to security reasons.
A Royal Air Maroc Boeing 737-800 (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
After nearly a decade of suspension due to security concerns, Morocco and Libya plan to resume direct air and sea links in 2025. On December 25, 2024, Morocco’s Minister of Transport and Logistics, Abdel Samad Qaiouh, met with Libya’s Minister of Communications, Salem Al-Shahoubi, in Rabat. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 29th Extraordinary Session of the General Assembly of the Arab Civil Aviation Organization.
The ministers emphasized the strong ties of fraternity and collaboration between the Kingdom of Morocco and the State of Libya. Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing bilateral cooperation in transportation and related sectors. Air traffic between the two countries has been suspended since February 16, 2015, following security restrictions imposed by Moroccan authorities, which included barring Libyan planes from entering Moroccan airspace.
During the meeting, Libya reiterated its keen interest in reinstating air connections between the two nations. Minister Al-Shahoubi highlighted that reestablishing these routes would not only improve connectivity but also stimulate economic exchanges and strengthen bilateral relations across various fields.
A significant step toward resuming air connections came on February 14, 2024, when a Royal Air Maroc (RAM) delegation visited Mitiga International Airport near Tripoli, Libya, to assess security conditions and operational measures.
Minister Qaiouh expressed Morocco’s readiness to advance this shared transportation agenda. Both sides agreed to intensify meetings of technical committees to explore practical measures for strengthening collaboration and to facilitate the exchange of expertise in the transport sector.
Despite progress, Morocco, like several other countries, remains cautious about fully restoring air traffic with Libya. Security concerns persist despite Libya’s peace agreement signed in October 2020 and improvements to its airport infrastructure. Since the fall of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libyan travelers have often had to transit through Tunis, Istanbul, or Cairo to access flights to Europe.
A decisive milestone was reached on October 28, 2024, as Libyan Express successfully conducted a test flight with its Beech 200 King Air aircraft, landing and taking off from Tripoli International Airport’s secondary runway.
This event, the first of its kind in a decade, marks a crucial step forward as Libya prepares to restore full operational capacity at Tripoli International Airport. Once the primary gateway into Libya, the airport had been largely dormant for nearly ten years due to extensive damage sustained during the 2014 civil war.
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