Tripoli International Airport to Reopen November
12/10/2011 16:13:00
Normality is expected to return to the Tripoli International Airport within a month and with the reopening of the airport, several international carriers will resume flights to Libya, interim transport and communications' minister Anwar Alfituri has said.
As part of its efforts to consolidate control over strategic infrastructure, on Monday Libya's interim government took over Tripoli International Airport from a group of regional fighters. Alitalia, who has flown to Libya by using the military airport at Maitiga, on the outskirt of Tripoli, is scheduled to be the first national carrier to fly to the international airport on November 2.
Alfituri said that the ruling National Transitional Council (NTC) has also received requests to restart flights from Air France, Egypt Air, Royal Jordanian, Turkish Airlines, Tunis Air and Austrian Airlines.
Announcing that international flights to and out of Libya from the Tripoli International Airport will start within a month, Alfituri said he expects all of the airlines who have sounded their intention to start using the facilities at the TIA next month.
Turkish Airlines is so far the only international carrier to have restarted flights out of Libya since rebel fighters seized Tripoli from Muammar Al Qathafi's forces in August. Along with some domestic operators Turkish Airlines have been using the Maitiga military airport in Tripoli.
On September 16, a UN Security Council resolution imposed in March, eased some of its sanctions on Libya. However, despite calls from Russia and South Africa for it to be lift the no-fly zone, it kept it in place.
But the resolution did remove an obligation on all member states to deny permission to any aircraft registered in Libya, or owned or operated by Libyan nationals or companies to take off from, land in or overfly their territory.
The United Nations Security Council resolution imposing a no-fly zone for civilian flights over the country, was part of international efforts to protect anti-government protesters under attack from Al Qathafi loyalists.
Alfituri said the NTC transport authorities would still have to seek specific permission for every flight taking off and landing in the country.
French Delegation in Libya Wednesday
In the meantime, Bernard Valero, a spokesman of the French Foreign Affairs ministry, announced Tuesday in Paris at a news briefing, that a delegation of nearly 80 French companies was due in Libya on Wednesday to cooperate with the new Libyan authorities in the reconstruction of the country,
He said the delegation, which will be in Libya for just 24 hours, was to be led by the French Secretary of State in charge of Trade, Pierre Lellouche.
“The point is precisely to identify the needs of Libya during the reconstruction of the country and to propose the expertise from the French companies in different areas, from public works to infrastructure and procurement,” he said.