Geopolitics plays a major role in the aviation industry, and here’s one of the more nuanced examples of that.
In this post:
Lebanon bans TUS Airways from its airspace
The Director General of the Lebanese Civil Aviation Authority, Fadi al-Hassan, has announced that TUS Airways is banned from Lebanon, meaning the airline can’t land at Lebanon’s airports, and can’t use Lebanon’s airspace. The reason for the ban? Israeli company Knafaim Holdings Ltd. owns 49.9% of the shares of the airline.
For context, TUS Airways is the largest airline of Cyprus. The Larnaca-based airline commenced operations in 2016, and operates a fleet of five Airbus A320s.
The airline operates flights primarily to Europe (including to Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, and Slovakia), and also operates flights to Israel. So the implications of this ban are fairly limited in practice, since Lebanese airspace wouldn’t even be used for most of TUS Airways’ routes.
Interestingly during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, TUS Airways operated some charter flights between Israel and Doha — seeing nonstop flights between the two countries was a historic development.
TUS Airways being nearly half owned by an Israeli company is nothing new, so why did this suddenly become an issue? Well, under a bilateral air services agreement, TUS Airways was awarded the right to operate regularly scheduled flights between Cyprus and Lebanon.
This caused authorities in Lebanon to do some research about the airline, leading to the discovery that TUS Airways is partly owned by an Israeli company.
The conflict between Lebanon and Israel
The decision to ban TUS Airways from Lebanon was made in the framework of Lebanon’s Boycott of Israel Law. The conflict dates back to 1951, when the Arab League called on member states to prohibit political, economic, commercial, and cultural relations with Israel.
Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982, during Lebanon’s civil war, and occupied Lebanese territory until 2000. Israel and Lebanon have technically been at war for decades, though the last major conflict was in 2006.
Even though Cyprus and Lebanon don’t have beef, the fact that TUS Airways is minority owned by an Israeli company is enough to get Lebanon to ban the airline.
Bottom line
TUS Airways of Cyprus has been banned from Lebanon, due to the airline being 49.9% owned by an Israeli company. This was only discovered because TUS Airways was supposed to start flying between Cyprus and Lebanon, at which point authorities did more research into the airline.
It’s nice to see relations between Israel and many Gulf countries improving in recent years, though unfortunately as of now that doesn’t extend to Lebanon and Israel…
What do you make of TUS Airways’ Lebanon ban?
Rampant inflation. Gridlocked govt. No money in the bank. Food shortages. Unemployment through the roof.....what shall I do? I'll ban a foreign airline minority-owned by Israelis! That'll show em, and solve all my problems too!!
Cyprus should ban Middle East Airlines from coming into Cyprus. And let’s see what Lebanon will do !!
Cyprus has no diplomatic or political issues with Lebanon at all - quite the contrary actually- so your comment is totally irrelevant, void and vindictive to say the least..
Yup. Also, as if that person who posted that comment is even Lebanese lol
Sono d'accordo con l'ipotizzaato divieto per gli aerei della Mea fi entrare in Libano. Il governo cipriota non dovrebbe accettare assurdi ricatti alla sua prima compagnia aerea.
The world suctioned Apartheid South Africa. Today we are a free Democratic People. Thanks for the world who had a back bone to the previous National Party Regime.
Why are the world this time in the Zionist ssa.
I'm a disadvantage South African, The generation wealth the advantaged population had, leaves and will always be a sour taste. Then killing and torture have it's scar's.
Why is the world supporting the Isreal Apartheid Government
I'm sorry but this is just petty. I'm Lebanese and I think Lebanon's government has more important things too be focused on other then cutting in too more of Lebanon's income by banning an airline flying over us. So so pathetic
Er, this ban is more symbolic than anything else. Banning it most likely won't be cutting into Lebanon's income, to be honest.
It wasn’t that long ago when MEA was rushing to park their planes at Larnaca Airport to protect them during a series of violent domestic conflicts within Lebanon!
What does that have to do with Lebanon banning TUS Airways? Nothing really.
It's hardly the good people of Lebanon. It's an archaic terrorist group hizbollah, no brighter than neanderthal man keeping a Lebanon with great potential in the dark ages; holding that fine country hostage with it's defunct ancient and religious ideology. God help Lebanon.
Not necessarily, there are many, many, many Lebanese of all faiths who dislike both Hizbullah and Israel at the same time.
Ben, the pictures featured in this article reminds me that we are still waiting for the review of your MEA flight
Makes sense considering the hostile nature of Israel towards Lebanon as described
And yet you support freedom and free market right?
LOL, maybe do some research before posting.....Lebanon is ruled by a United States designated terrorist organization named Hezbollah whose charter states the full destruction of the state of Israel. They are financed by Iran, the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism.
Hizbullah only exists because Israel occupied southern Lebanon…
Israel left Southern Lebanon in 2000, so it had 23 years to disband.
And the PLO (Israel's reasons for invading Lebanon) left Lebanon in 1982...Israel stayed occupying and stealing Lebanon's water for 18 years.
Lebanon is “governor” by Hezbollah a US designated terror group. Israel’s relationship of Lebanon is not hostile. It is of a defense of nature given a long history of terror groups dominating the politics in the country Lebanon, his long been a base for terror groups to launch attacks against Israel, either on ground or by air. Right now they’re over 100,000 missiles and rockets in Lebanon aimed at Israel. Israel is continually locating and...
Lebanon is “governor” by Hezbollah a US designated terror group. Israel’s relationship of Lebanon is not hostile. It is of a defense of nature given a long history of terror groups dominating the politics in the country Lebanon, his long been a base for terror groups to launch attacks against Israel, either on ground or by air. Right now they’re over 100,000 missiles and rockets in Lebanon aimed at Israel. Israel is continually locating and sealing terror tunnels that cross the border into Israel. I have personally been in a tunnel bored from Lebanon through solid rock into Israel. Now you tell me who has a hostile nature.
One could say since Israel invaded and occupied Lebanon before Hizbullah was even created, that Hizbuullah is the one with a defensive posture.
"Right now they’re over 100,000 missiles and rockets in Lebanon aimed at Israel"
And how many are aimed at Lebanon? Whatever Hizbullah's military capability, it dwarfs that of Israel...
Please, do report on political issues accurately, otherwise you create chaos and destruction in people’s minds, when they are unaware of political context. I like your blog, but please…Here is from Wikipedia:
“ The invasion followed a series of attacks and counter-attacks between the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) operating in southern Lebanon and the IDF that had caused civilian casualties on both sides of the border.[17][18][19] The military operation was launched after gunmen from...
Please, do report on political issues accurately, otherwise you create chaos and destruction in people’s minds, when they are unaware of political context. I like your blog, but please…Here is from Wikipedia:
“ The invasion followed a series of attacks and counter-attacks between the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) operating in southern Lebanon and the IDF that had caused civilian casualties on both sides of the border.[17][18][19] The military operation was launched after gunmen from Abu Nidal's organization attempted to assassinate Shlomo Argov, Israel's ambassador to the United Kingdom. ”
Interesting to see TUS Airways reinvent itself and become a bigger airline than Cyprus Airways, given that it was almost going to shut down a few years ago...also interesting as CY offers more scheduled routes than U8 does...but I guess there are different definitions of "biggest" when it comes to airlines?
Yes, it's very puzzling! Tus is considered larger as they have 5 aircraft, whereas CY has 3 (with 10 a220s on order). However, Tus doesn't really have an extensive network from Cyprus and definitely nothing close to what CY offers.
That’ll be S7 operating under the Cyprus Airways logo they leased for 10 years from the Cypriot government!