One of Libya’s rival prime ministers returns to Tripoli on 1st commercial flight from Italy in years

CAIRO (AP) — One of Libya’s rival prime ministers has returned to the capital of Tripoli from Italy on a charter flight with a commercial airline, the first direct flight between the two countries in a decade. Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah, who heads the Tripoli-based government, boarded the flight from Fiumicino airport in Rome. Flight AZ894 is operated by Italy’s national airline, ITA Airways. The flight landed in Mitiga airport, the only functioning airport in the Libyan capital. Dbeibah said Monday that Libyans would be able to book direct flights to Italy in September after the Italian government agreed earlier this month to lift a 10-year-long ban on civil aviation in the North African nation.