Air Algérie resumes flights to Tripoli

Air Algérie has restarted flights to Tripoli, marking its return to a market where Turkish Airlines, EgyptAir, and Royal Jordanian already operate routes with stopovers. The airline restored its connection between Algiers and Mitiga Airport this week, according to the Libyan Ministry of Transport, with plans for two weekly flights on Wednesdays and Fridays using Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

Flights halted due to security concerns

The resumption of flights ends a long absence linked to a security crisis. In May 2014, a company official announced the suspension of flights after repatriating Algerian citizens. The Libyan Ministry of Transport has not specified either the passenger transfer targets in Algiers or the expected distribution between travelers between Libya and Algeria and those continuing their journey to another country.

Competition in the Tripoli market

The return of Air Algérie adds an itinerary to an already competitive offer for the second customer base. For London, itineraries with stopovers recorded by Google Flights as of October 29 are offered by Air Algérie and three other airlines. Turkish Airlines offers trips via Istanbul with daily departure possibilities, with 14 weekly flights between Tripoli and Istanbul.

Other airlines expanding routes

EgyptAir serves Cairo 10 times a week from Tripoli, with routes to London offered on a daily basis. Royal Jordanian, which integrated Tripoli into its network in 2024 according to its annual report, plans for four weekly flights from Mitiga in its October 2026 schedule. The flights to London recorded by Google Flights are available on these four days, compared to two with Air Algérie.

New routes from Italy

In addition to these routes, ITA Airways has resumed its flights between Rome and Tripoli on January 12, 2025, as confirmed by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This indicates that the passages through Algiers, Istanbul, Cairo, or Amman are not the only access routes to Europe from the Libyan capital.

EU restrictions remain in place

The European Commission, in its June 2026 update, maintained the prohibition of operating within the European Union for all companies certified in Libya, due to the inadequacies of security oversight. ITA Airways, being an Italian company, is not subject to this prohibition. Air Algérie thus returns to a market that offers several international access routes. However, the role that Tripoli will play in its network remains to be measured. The report from the Libyan Press Agency does not specify either the passenger transfer targets in Algiers or the expected distribution between this customer base and travelers stopping in Algeria.