Originally Posted by
RobtheAggie
The US already allows NS flights to BEY, no-one has taken it back up since TWA dropped it.
From wilikedia:
US air traffic ban lifted
On June 6, 2007, U.S. President Bush lifted a ban on air traffic to Lebanon imposed since the 1985 hijacking of TWA Flight 847. A press release issued by the White House said Bush was determined that the “prohibition of transportation services to Lebanon … is hereby further amended to permit U.S. air carriers under contract to the United States Government to engage in foreign air transportation to and from Lebanon of passengers, including U.S. and non-U.S. citizens.”
On December 17, 2009, President Michel Sleiman announced that US based airlines are considering a partnership agreement with Middle East Airlines (MEA) as a first step to resuming direct flights between Lebanon and the United States and eventually Canada. Brazil's Varig started services from São Paulo and suspended operations in 2006. Before Varig's suspension, it was the only airline of Latin and South America to fly to Beirut.
Before 9/11/2001, DL was looking to start service to BEY amongst a few other places in the MENA region -- those then-examined destinations that were short-listed seem to be coming to life slowly but surely. DL serving Cairo is but one example of that.