Trump to allow US carriers to resume direct flights to Lebanon

AP reports the president will permit direct US–Lebanon flights more than 40 years after the route was suspended.

Announcement and meeting

The Associated Press reported that Trump said he would permit American carriers to fly directly to Lebanon again, ending a long-standing suspension of the U.S.–Lebanon air link. The announcement came after talks with Aoun, who was in Washington for meetings with the U.S. president.

Posts circulating on X, citing Trump’s social media account, said the president directed his administration to allow all U.S. airline carriers to operate direct service to Lebanon so Americans could more easily visit the country. Those accounts also said Trump praised Aoun’s efforts in Lebanon. The Associated Press’ initial alert did not include the full text of any social media post and did not independently confirm every detail of the language reported elsewhere.

There are currently no scheduled nonstop commercial passenger flights between the United States and Lebanon, according to aviation and news accounts summarizing the announcement. It remained unclear which airlines might seek to operate such routes or when service could begin.

Background of the suspension

The U.S. halted direct flights to Lebanon decades ago. The Associated Press said the route has been suspended for more than 40 years. Other reporting shared on X has dated the suspension to the mid-1980s, a period of prolonged conflict and instability in Lebanon that included attacks on Western targets and a collapse of commercial aviation links to the United States. That mid-1980s dating is consistent with AP’s “more than 40 years” framing but was not spelled out in the wire’s short alert.

For years, travelers between the two countries have typically connected through third-country hubs in Europe or the Middle East rather than flying nonstop.

What remains unresolved

Trump’s statement, as reported by AP, authorizes the policy change but does not by itself restore flights. Airlines would still need regulatory approvals, commercial decisions, aircraft and airport capacity, and security arrangements before any nonstop service could start. No carrier had announced concrete schedules in immediate reaction to the news, according to available reporting on X.

Secondary accounts of the Aoun visit said Trump also discussed broader U.S.–Lebanon issues, including regional security and Israel’s posture in southern Lebanon. Details of those discussions varied across outlets, and AP’s breaking post focused on the aviation decision rather than a full readout of the talks. Claims about timelines for any Israeli withdrawal or direct U.S. contact with Hezbollah were reported by some secondary sources but were not confirmed in AP’s initial alert and should be treated as unconfirmed pending fuller official statements.

Next steps

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy was reported in some social media accounts to have signaled readiness to implement the directive. That response was not part of the Associated Press’ brief breaking item and has not been independently detailed here.

Further clarification is expected from the White House, the Department of Transportation, and any U.S. carriers that choose to apply for or market Lebanon routes. Until schedules are filed and approved, the practical effect of Trump’s announcement remains a policy green light rather than an immediate return of nonstop service.

The Associated Press first reported the development Tuesday evening, identifying it as a major shift in U.S. aviation policy toward Lebanon after more than four decades without direct American carrier flights.