Trump lifts 41-year US-Lebanon flight restrictions

President Donald Trump signed Presidential Proclamation No. 2026-25 on September 30, published in the Federal Register on October 5, repealing four proclamations from 1985, 1992, 1998, and 2007 that restricted air transport with Lebanon. The limits began after the 1985 hijacking of TWA Flight 847. The decision took effect immediately, with no date set for the first direct flight. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun welcomed the move, saying this decision is an indicator of confidence in the measures taken by the Lebanese state to ensure civil aviation safety, protect air traffic to and from Beirut, and enhance the security of flights connecting Lebanon to countries around the world. He said he requested the lift at a White House meeting with Trump and thanked Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Aoun said Lebanon attaches utmost importance to civil aviation safety. The Lebanese embassy in Washington also welcomed the decision. A presidential memorandum reported by صوت الإمارات said the restrictions were no longer necessary to ensure the safety of aircraft operating flights from Lebanon to the United States and to protect them from unlawful seizure. Regulatory, security, and operational arrangements remained unfinished, and no first-flight date had been set.