Geopolitics performs a significant position within the aviation trade, and right here’s one of many extra nuanced examples of that, as flagged by PYOK.
Lebanon bans TUS Airways from its airspace
The Director Basic of the Lebanese Civil Aviation Authority, Fadi al-Hassan, has introduced that TUS Airways is banned from Lebanon, that means the airline can’t land at Lebanon’s airports, and might’t use Lebanon’s airspace. The rationale for the ban? Israeli firm Knafaim Holdings Ltd. owns 49.9% of the shares of the airline.
For context, TUS Airways is the most important airline of Cyprus. The Larnaca-based airline commenced operations in 2016, following the liquidation of Cyprus Airways. TUS Airways’ fleet consists of 5 Airbus A320s.
The airline operates flights primarily to Europe (together with to Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, and Slovakia), and likewise operates flights to Israel. So the implications of this ban are pretty restricted in apply, since Lebanese airspace wouldn’t even be used for many of TUS Airways’ routes.
Apparently through the 2022 FIFA World Cup, TUS Airways operated some constitution flights between Israel and Doha — seeing nonstop flights between the 2 international locations was a historic growth.
TUS Airways being practically half owned by an Israeli firm is nothing new, so why did this out of the blue develop into a difficulty? Properly, beneath a bilateral air companies settlement, TUS Airways was awarded the suitable to function usually scheduled flights between Cyprus and Lebanon.
This brought on authorities in Lebanon to perform a little research concerning the airline, resulting in the invention that TUS Airways is partly owned by an Israeli firm.
The battle between Lebanon and Israel
The choice to ban TUS Airways from Lebanon was made within the framework of Lebanon’s Boycott of Israel Legislation. The battle dates again to 1951, when the Arab League referred to as on member states to ban political, financial, business, and cultural relations with Israel.
Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982, throughout Lebanon’s civil struggle, and occupied Lebanese territory till 2000. Israel and Lebanon have technically been at struggle for many years, although the final main battle was in 2006.
Though Cyprus and Lebanon don’t have beef, the truth that TUS Airways is minority owned by an Israeli firm is sufficient to get Lebanon to ban the airline.
Backside line
TUS Airways of Cyprus has been banned from Lebanon, because of the airline being 49.9% owned by an Israeli firm. This was solely found as a result of TUS Airways was supposed to begin flying between Cyprus and Lebanon, at which level authorities did extra analysis into the airline.
It’s good to see relations between Israel and plenty of Gulf international locations enhancing lately, although sadly as of now that doesn’t lengthen to Lebanon and Israel…
What do you make of TUS Airways’ Lebanon ban?
