President Donald Trump officially lifted decades-old restrictions on flights to and from Lebanon, in a move that removes one of the biggest legal obstacles to resuming direct flights between the two countries. A presidential memorandum signed September 30 and published in the US Federal Register found that restrictions imposed under presidential decrees issued in 1985, 1992, 1998 and 2007 are no longer necessary to protect aircraft security. Under Presidential Order 2026-25, Trump fully revoked the four decrees and directed the US Secretary of Transportation to implement the order immediately and cancel any conflicting regulations.
The issue was raised during Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s visit to Washington last July, when Aoun stressed the importance of restoring direct air links and Trump did not rule out resuming flights. The Lebanese Embassy in Washington welcomed the decision as a reflection of confidence in Lebanese security measures, and Al-Sharq reported that a Beirut-New York route is the first being considered. Lifting the restrictions does not mean flights begin immediately: Beirut and Washington still need to finalize regulatory, security and operational arrangements, and no date has been set, though Middle East Airlines said last July it has aircraft capable of flying Beirut-New York direct.