Libya's state-owned Afriqiyah Airways operated on Friday its first flight between the two rival parts of the country - the western-based capital of Tripoli and the eastern city of Benghazi - following months of air traffic suspension, media reported
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th October, 2020) Libya's state-owned Afriqiyah Airways operated on Friday its first flight between the two rival parts of the country - the western-based capital of Tripoli and the eastern city of Benghazi - following months of air traffic suspension, media reported.
Earlier in the week, the airline said the first flight would be conducted on October 16 and regular air traffic would be launched on October 23. There will be two flights between the cities per week on Monday and Friday.
The plane took off on Friday morning from the Tripoli-based Mitiga International Airport and then landed in the airport of Benina, which serves Benghazi. The flight has carried delegations of the airline and the airport and civil aviation departments affiliated with the Government of National Accord's (GNA) Ministry of Transport, Libya's Al Wasat newspaper reported.
The agreement on the resumption of the air traffic between the two biggest Libyan cities was reached during the recent reconciliation talks in Egypt's Hurghada within the 5+5 military committee format. According to Al Wasat, this is the first flight between the two destination points in two years.
"This visit aims to follow up preparations for the resumption of commercial flights between the airports of Mitiga and Benina after their suspension more than a year ago," the airport department said in a statement.
The statement read that the GNA delegation should assess the technical readiness of the Benina airport, carry out the necessary maintenance work and ensure the implementation of measures to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Libya has been torn apart between two rival governments since the overthrow and assassination of the country's long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The western part of the country, including Tripoli, is controlled by the UN-backed GNA, while the eastern with Benghazi by the Tobruk-based parliament, which is supported by the Libyan National Army headed by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar.
