Turkish Airlines resumes flights to Benghazi after 10-year break

Turkish Airlines has resumed flights to Benghazi, Libya, a city with deep historical ties to Türkiye, Türkiye’s Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloglu announced Tuesday.

“We will operate three flights per week to Benghazi, transporting passengers,” he said.

In an interview with Anadolu Agency, Uraloglu emphasized Türkiye’s strategic location, pointing out that it is just a four-hour flight away from 1.5 billion people. He highlighted Türkiye’s significant investments in its aviation sector to maximize this geographic advantage.

“With the goal of ensuring that ‘there will be no place in the world we cannot reach,’ we have made Türkiye one of the countries with the largest flight networks. Türkiye is at the center of 67 countries with a combined GDP of $51.2 trillion, all within a four-hour flight radius. We continuously leverage this location, operating flights between continents with Turkish Airlines,” he said.

Aviation a bridge that connects nations

Uraloglu also remarked that aviation has evolved from being just a means of transport to becoming a bridge that connects nations and fosters cultural exchange. He pointed out that global developments have contributed to the rapid growth of Türkiye’s aviation sector, which is now a key component of the country’s economic growth.

He further noted that Türkiye’s passenger numbers surpassed 236 million by the end of last year, with expectations for the figure to exceed 250 million this year.

First flight to Benghazi after 10 Years

Minister Uraloglu also highlighted that over the past 22 years, Türkiye has built 32 new airports.

“Aviation is now one of the most important drivers of globalization. In this era of rapid technological advancement, the sector is constantly evolving, and competition is intensifying. Domestically, flights reach 58 destinations, and internationally, 349 destinations are served. Just as we support international routes for airlines, we also continue to provide support for domestic flights,” he said.

He also mentioned that after extensive discussions, flights to Santiago, Chile, resumed on Dec. 18, 2024.

“Turkish Airlines has begun weekly four-frequency flights on the Istanbul-Sao Paulo-Santiago route. This marks the first time Turkish Airlines has flown to Chile. Additionally, as of Dec. 4, 2024, Turkish Airlines started operations on the Istanbul-Kuala Lumpur-Sydney route. After Melbourne, Sydney became the second new destination in Australia, bringing the total number of international flight points to 349 by the end of last year.”

Uraloglu concluded by noting that Turkish Airlines continues flights to Libya’s Tripoli and has now resumed flights to Benghazi, which were suspended for 10 years.

“Turkish Airlines first launched flights to Benghazi on May 5, 2009, and operated regular services until they were suspended on January 5, 2015. After a 10-year break, flights to Benghazi have now resumed,” he added.