The United States has formally lifted the 40-year-old restrictions that blocked direct flights between the U.S. and Lebanon, removing the legal barrier to nonstop service. But Lebanon's flag carrier, Middle East Airlines (MEA), says a Beirut–New York route is still unlikely before the end of 2027 or 2028.
The change was made in a presidential memorandum signed by President Donald Trump on September 30 and published in the Federal Register. It was reported in recent days by L'Orient Today, Arab News and Lebanese broadcaster LBCI.
What the decision does
The memorandum revokes four presidential determinations adopted in 1985, 1992, 1998 and 2007. According to the text quoted by L'Orient Today, those restrictions are "no longer necessary to ensure the safety of aircraft conducting flights to or from Lebanon against unlawful seizure." It directs the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to implement the change immediately and to remove any conflicting regulations or orders.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun welcomed the move as a sign of confidence in the measures Lebanon has taken to secure civil aviation. He had asked for the restrictions to be lifted when he met Trump at the White House in July.
Four decades of restrictions
The rules date back to 1985, after TWA Flight 847, flying from Athens to Rome, was hijacked and forced to land in Beirut. During the 17-day hostage crisis, a U.S. Navy diver on board was killed.
The Reagan administration then suspended air links with Lebanon. The measures barred U.S. airlines from serving the country, even indirectly, and suspended the rights of Lebanese carriers MEA and Trans Mediterranean Airways to carry passengers to the United States.
The restrictions were eased in stages. In 1992 foreign airlines were allowed to carry cargo to Lebanon. In 1998 ticket sales to Lebanon and flights with stopovers were authorized. In 2007 some exemptions were granted for U.S. carriers flying under government contracts. Even so, direct commercial passenger flights between the two countries never resumed.
Why flights will not start soon
Lifting the ban is only the first step. Sources at MEA and the Lebanese civil aviation authorities told L'Orient Today that several regulatory, security and operational hurdles remain.
Lebanon and the United States need a new air transport agreement, because the current one dates from 1972 and is considered obsolete. LBCI reported that talks between Lebanon's Directorate General of Civil Aviation and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration are expected in November on the sidelines of International Civil Aviation Organization meetings in Montreal, building on a draft agreement that Lebanon has already approved.
U.S. authorizations and an audit of aviation safety and airport security will also be required. LBCI said Lebanese officials are working to strengthen the country's civil aviation regulator, with technical support from the World Bank, before a security assessment can take place.
MEA's fleet plans
MEA is due to receive eight new aircraft between mid-November and the end of June 2027: four Airbus A330neos and four Airbus A321XLRs. A company source told L'Orient Today that the aircraft are part of a previously planned fleet renewal and were not ordered specifically for a U.S. route, but that the long-range A330neo would be suitable for a flight such as Beirut–New York.
"There is no precise date for the launch, with the route expected toward the end of 2027 or in 2028, depending on the U.S. civil aviation approval process," the source said.
What it means
A nonstop link would be significant for the large Lebanese diaspora in the United States, who today must connect through European or Gulf hubs to reach Beirut. It would also open the door, at least in principle, to U.S. airlines serving Lebanon for the first time in four decades, although none has announced any plans.
For now, the decision changes the legal picture rather than the flight map. The timing of any first flight will depend on the new bilateral agreement, the U.S. approval and audit process, and the delivery of MEA's new long-haul aircraft.
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