Flights to and from Tripoli Set to Resume at Rehabilitated Airport by End of 2026

The committee overseeing the reopening of Tripoli International Airport has reviewed on-site progress as Libya prepares the long-closed gateway for its scheduled opening in the fourth quarter of 2026. The Operational Readiness, Activation and Transfer (ORAT) Committee, part of the Libyan Airports Authority under the Ministry of Transport, met to assess the rehabilitation and development project.

Key facts

• Tripoli International Airport is scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of 2026
• The ORAT Committee, under the Libyan Airports Authority, met to review field progress and technical workflows
• The meeting was chaired by the committee's head and attended by the heads of its technical teams
• A new Air Traffic Management Centre next to the airport was inaugurated on 23 September

What is the ORAT Committee?

ORAT is a structured methodology used in aviation to bridge the gap between completing construction and starting live airport operations. Its main purpose is to ensure that facilities, complex equipment, digital systems and trained staff work together from the first day of service, preventing opening-day failures.

What was reviewed?

The expanded meeting examined the latest field developments at Tripoli International Airport and went through the most recent workflow updates. It also reviewed technical observations set out in a report submitted to the Minister of Transport.

Discussions covered the immediate corrective measures taken by the executing company to address the issues raised, along with adherence to established timelines to avoid delays.

What happens next?

Closing the meeting, the committee chairman stressed the importance of rigorous, continuous field monitoring of all ongoing works both landside and airside. He called for comprehensive periodic reports documenting completion rates and performance metrics in real time.

The meeting followed the Ministry of Transport's inauguration of the new Air Traffic Management Centre next to Tripoli International Airport on 23 September. No exact opening date within the fourth quarter of 2026 has been announced.

What this means for travellers

Travellers planning to use Tripoli International Airport can expect the facility to remain closed until the fourth quarter of 2026, when it is scheduled to open. Anyone booking flights to or from Tripoli should check which airport their airline is operating from and watch for an announcement of the exact opening date.