Alan George/BRUSSELS
Airlines have moved quickly to resume flights to Libya after the suspension of UN aviation and other sanctions following the North African country's surrender of the Pan Am 747 Lockerbie bombing suspects.
EgyptAir has started two flights a week from Cairo to Tripoli and two weekly round trips from Cairo to Alexandria and Benghazi. Moroccan flag carrier Royal Air Maroc began twice-weekly flights to Tripoli on 26 April, and this month Alitalia will start twice-weekly flights from Rome to Tripoli and three times-weekly services from Milan to Tripoli.
British Airways, Air France, Lufthansa, Emirates, Air Malta and Sudan Airways all say they will start flights soon, although no firm dates have been set. BA chief executive Bob Ayling says he is "delighted" at being able to start services to Libya. He describes Tripoli as having "huge potential as an important business market and prospects as a tourist destination".
The UN sanctions were imposed in 1991 to persuade Libyan leader Col Gadaffi to hand over for trial two alleged Libyan agents accused of carrying out the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over the Scottish town of Lockerbie. The crash caused the death of 270 people. On 6 April, the Libyan leader surrendered the pair, who will be tried in a special court in the Netherlands.
The UN sanctions banned all flights to and from Libya and prohibited the supply of all aviation equipment. The embargo has devastated flag carrier Libyan Arab Airlines (LAA) and Libya's airport facilities need renovation and upgrading. A unilateral and comprehensive US trade embargo remains in effect, however, denying the Libyan market to US suppliers and contractors.
LAA, which has been reduced to operating limited domestic operations with ancient aircraft such as the Boeing 727 and Fokker F27, is also reported to be considering buying Airbus aircraft.
British Aerospace executives have already visited Libya to discuss several possible contracts, including one to renovate Tripoli International airport.
Source: Flight International
