Libyan authorities denied a Lebanese plane permission to land in Tripoli on Friday, state media reported, complicating the evacuation of Lebanese living and working in the country, dpa reported.
The Lebanese National carrier Middle East Airliner (MEA) was Friday due to set off for Tripoli International Airport, but was banned from landing by Libyan authorities, according to the state-run Lebanese National News Agency.
Although Libya has allowed several nations to use the airport in Tripoli to evacuate its citizens following over a week of violent protests, the denial of a landing permit to the Lebanese carrier came just days after Beirut airport officials denied permission for a Libyan private jet to land.
The jet was reportedly carrying 10 people, including the Lebanese wife of one of Libyan leader Moamer Gaddafi's sons.
Sources at Beirut airport said authorities there banned the private jet from landing on Tuesday after Libya refused to unveil the identity of the people on board.
There have been no flights between Lebanon and Libya since bilateral relations soured over the 1978 disappearance of Lebanon's Muslim Shiite Imam Moussa Sadr in Libya. Lebanese officials have accused Gaddafi of being behind Imam Sadr's disappearance.