Star Alliance member Turkish Airlines is returning to Benghazi in Libya after a hiatus of more than a decade.
The airline plans to introduce flights between Istanbul Airport and Benina International Airport from Jan. 14, 2025. The route will be served three times per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, using a mix of Boeing 737-800 and 737-900 aircraft.
The carrier suspended operations to Libya in November 2014 amid political instability following the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that ousted longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi. The unrest led to rival administrations in eastern and western Libya, halting international air service.
However, Turkish Airlines resumed flights to Libya in April 2024 with five weekly roundtrips to Tripoli’s Mitiga International Airport. Benghazi will now become its second destination in the country.
According to OAG Schedules Analyser, five carriers currently serve international routes from Benghazi. Afriqiyah Airways connects the city to Alexandria and Cairo in Egypt; Amman, Jordan; and Tunis, Tunisia. Berniq Airways also serves Alexandria, Cairo and Tunis, in addition to Dubai; Istanbul; and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Libyan Airlines offers flights to Alexandria and Tunis; Belavia operates from Minsk, Belarus; and Egyptair connects Benghazi to Cairo.
The introduction of Turkish Airlines’ Istanbul-Benghazi service comes as Italy’s ITA Airways prepares to launch a route to Tripoli in January despite the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) extending its flight ban over Libyan airspace until the end of April. ITA will connect Rome Fiumicino Airport and Mitiga International Airport from Jan. 12, 2025, operating on Thursdays and Sundays onboard Airbus A319 aircraft.
EASA’s latest Conflict Zone Information Bulletin, valid until April 2025, warns airlines to avoid Libyan airspace at all altitudes and flight levels due to a “high risk” of intentional or unintentional attacks on civil aviation. However, exceptions are allowed for flights to coastal airports—like Mitiga International Airport—under specific conditions. These include approaches from the sea, full coordination with local authorities and air traffic control, and the completion of a thorough risk assessment.