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Fadi al-Hassan, director general of Lebanon’s Civil Aviation Authority, has announced that the authority has banned TUS Airways (U8, Larnaca) from its airspace because of its part-ownership by an Israeli company.

Controlled by Israeli businesswoman Tami Mozes-Borovitz, Global Knafaim Leasing parent company Knafaim Holdings owns 49.9% of the shares of the Cypriot carrier under a deal that was completed in September 2021. US businessman Kenneth Woolley holds the remaining 50.1%.

Al-Hassan said he had notified Lebanon’s Ministry Of Economy and Trade indicating that “a letter was received from the Cypriot Civil Aviation Authority allowing TUS Air to invest in air transport services” between Cyprus and Lebanon based on an air transport agreement between the two countries.

His statement on the authority’s website, dated May 5, pointed to the Israeli company’s 49.9% shareholding and said that as a consequence TUS Airways “is prohibited from flying in Lebanese airspace and from landing at Rafic Hariri International Airport Beirut until further notice, pending recommendations issued by the next Conference of the Liaison Officers of [Arab]...

Editorial Comment: Added comment from Cyprus's Department of Civil Aviation - 11.05.2023 - 15:49 UTC

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