The prohibition had been in place since 1985,
when it was imposed in response to Hezbollah’s hijacking of TWA Flight 847.
1. Ban to End:
President Donald Trump directed his administration to allow U.S. airlines to
operate direct flights to Lebanon, ending a ban in place since 1985.
2. Historic Restriction: The
flight ban was imposed after Hezbollah hijacked TWA Flight 847 in 1985, leading
to a 17-day hostage crisis and the killing of a U.S. Navy sailor.
3. Announcement: Trump
announced the decision after meeting Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, saying it
would make travel easier for Americans visiting Lebanon.
4. FAA Action: The
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it will work with airlines and
relevant agencies to safely implement the President's directive.
5. Implementation Uncertain: No
timeline has been announced for lifting the restriction, and it is unclear
whether U.S. airlines will immediately begin flights to Beirut.
6. Security Concerns Persist: The
decision comes despite continued instability in Lebanon, including ongoing
tensions and intermittent clashes between Israel and Hezbollah.
7. U.S.-Brokered Peace Efforts: The
United States is facilitating negotiations between Lebanon and Israel for
Israeli troop withdrawals from parts of southern Lebanon.
8. Hezbollah's Position:
Hezbollah has rejected the U.S.-backed peace framework because it requires the
group's disarmament.
9. Regional Context: The
move coincides with escalating conflict between the United States and Iran,
highlighting Washington's differing approaches toward Lebanon and Iran.
10. Possible Engagement with Hezbollah: Trump
stated he would be willing to speak with Hezbollah, if requested by President
Aoun, to help advance peace efforts between Lebanon and Israel.
11. Significance: If
implemented, this would be the first restoration of direct commercial air
service between the United States and Lebanon in more than four decades,
subject to security and operational considerations.
[ABS News Service/22.07.2026]
President
Trump said he was ordering his administration to allow direct flights from the United
States to Lebanon, ending a prohibition that has been in place since Hezbollah hijacked
a flight in 1985.
The
surprise announcement, which Mr. Trump made on his social media platform after visiting
with President Joseph Aoun of Lebanon, comes as the war with Iran escalates. It
ends a restriction imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration that banned U.S.
carriers from flying directly to Lebanon after Hezbollah hijacked TWA Flight 847,
which started a 17-day standoff in which a U.S. Navy sailor was killed.
“I
am hereby directing my Administration to allow all U.S. airline carriers to fly
directly to Lebanon so that Americans can easily visit this beautiful land,” Mr.
Trump wrote in a post that made no mention of the reason for the initial ban. “Hopefully,
other Countries will do the same.”
It
was not immediately clear when the Trump administration would formally undo the
ban, or whether U.S. carriers would take advantage of the policy change to schedule
flights to Beirut.
The
F.A.A. said in a statement that it “looks forward to working with airlines and our
interagency partners to advance the president’s directive and support the safe return
of flights to Lebanon.”
Mr.
Trump’s decision potentially increases the American footprint in Beirut amid an
uncertain security situation. Lebanese and Israeli leaders are working under a U.S.-brokered
framework to negotiate a withdrawal of Israeli troops from areas occupied as part
of a campaign against Hezbollah that Israel waged in parallel with the war in Iran.
The U.S. State Department said on Monday that withdrawal operations had begun in
three “pilot zones,” though by Tuesday, both sides acknowledged that Israel had
resumed gunfire.
Hezbollah,
a militia backed by Iran that has long functioned as a de facto government within
Lebanon, has rejected the U.S.-backed peace process, which would involve its disarmament.
The
U.S. efforts to end hostilities between Lebanon and Israel, which have vacillated
between states of frozen conflict and all-out war for nearly 80 years, are currently
at odds with Mr. Trump’s more dour outlook for Iran, where
peace talks have broken down and regular bombardment has resumed. But the two spheres
of conflict remain linked, given Iran and Hezbollah’s ties, and the influence that
the militia group wields in Lebanon’s internal affairs.
On
Tuesday (21.07.2026), Mr. Trump said he “would speak to Hezbollah” to help advance
a resolution to the conflict, particularly if Mr. Aoun requested it.