TRIPOLI (Agencies): A team from the Jordanian Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission has made a visit to Libya’s Mitiga Airport in the capital, Tripoli, in efforts to review the possibilities for resuming direct flights to the country after over a decade of instability.
According to Libya’s Transport Ministry, a Royal Jordanian plane arrived at Mitiga Airport on Saturday carrying a team from the Jordanian Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission, who were carrying out a field visit to audit the Airport with the view of ruling on the resumption of direct flights to Tripoli.
As part of the audit, the team reportedly set out to review the Airport’s equipment, procedures and its compliance with certain standards and internationally-recognised requirements. The visit also aimed to determine the operational procedures of the Airport, including safety and security measures.
It consisted of a tour of the corridors of the Airport’s new passenger terminal and the currently used terminal, with an expanded meeting having also been held at the airport management headquarters. Present during the visit and meetings were a Libyan team from the Civil Aviation Authority and the Airports Authority, as well as handling companies and ground services operating at Mitiga Airport.
No final decision has yet been revealed regarding the Jordanian team’s assessment of the airport and its suitability but, if the visit was satisfactory, it could see flights from Jordan fly directly to Libya’s capital after 13 years of instability following the 2011 revolution, the overthrow of former dictator, Muammar Gaddafi, and the civil war that ensued.
It comes amid increasing interest from states and international companies regarding the resumption of flights to Libya amid its relative stability in recent years, with Egypt having resumed flights back in 2021, and Turkiye and Qatar having announced their resumption of flights this year.