No Result
View All Result
Friday, October 17, 2025
23 °c
Tripoli
24 ° Sat
24 ° Sun
  • Advertising
  • Contact
LibyaHerald
  • Home
  • Libya
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Magazine
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Register
SUBSCRIBE
  • Home
  • Libya
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Magazine
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Register
No Result
View All Result
LibyaHerald
No Result
View All Result
Home Business

Libyan carriers still banned from EU skies

bythomwestcott
December 19, 2012
Reading Time: 2 mins read
A A
Libyan carriers still banned from EU skies

Libyan carriers won't be landing in EU until Spring 2013 at earliest (Photo: Afriqiyah Airways)

By Tom Westcott

Libyan carriers won’t be landing in the EU until Spring 2013 at earliest
(Photo: Afriqiyah Airways)

London, 19 December:

Libyan airliners and flight crew are still banned from EU airspace, according to the latest report from . . .[restrict]Brussels.

Despite noting the progress made by the Libyan Civil Aviation Authority (LCAA), the European Commission’s Air Safety Committee, with the approval of LCAA, has just announced that it is keeping the ban in place into 2013.

The Air Safety Committee’s report pointed to continuing safety concerns, despite saying it was encouraged by: “The sound plan of the LCAA to address the safety deficiencies in their aviation system, the realistic timescales for actions, and the progress made to date.”

RELATED POSTS

Committee for Localisation of Oil Field Equipment invites local and international investors to manufacture oil materials and equipment locally

CBL stats until end of September 2025: Libya has LD 8.4 billion surplus but US$ 6 billion deficit

However, Alan Mates, Head of Operations for Afriqiyah Airways in the UK, told Libya Herald that the real cause is paperwork problems dating back to 2007. “There are no safety issues with the aircraft themselves,” he said. “it’s purely a record-keeping problem.”

“There were certain shortfalls in record-keeping, going back to 2007,” Mates explained. “Under international aviation law, there is a requirement that all the technical records from the aircraft are filed and updated with the CAA in the registered country and this wasn’t done.”

The ban should have been lifted by the end of November, at the Air Safety Committee’s biannual meeting. However, Mates said: “There were several points that they weren’t entirely happy with and they put an extension on the ban, possibly until the end of the winter flying season, which is the end of March.”

Dale Kidd, Press Officer for Transport at the EU, confirmed that the next meeting of the Air Safety Committee will be in Spring 2012, with the outcome due to be announced in April.

Until then, Afriqiyah and Libyan Airlines are forced to continue ‘wet-leasing’ aircraft to service their current EU routes. Wet-leasing means that aircraft, along with flight and cabin crew, are leased from another airline. Libyan Airlines are currently wet-leasing two Airbus A320s from Tunisia’s Nouvelair and Afriqiyah Airways are wet-leasing an Airbus A320 from Air Moldova.

The ban is not just on Libyan aircraft landing in the EU but also extends to flying through EU airspace. This has forced Afriqiyah to fly a dog-leg between Tripoli and Istanbul via Alexandria, adding an hour extra flying time onto the journey.

The report said that the LCAA would retain the current restrictions on Libyan air carriers’ operations into the EU: “Until such time as a full five stage recertification has been completed and any significant findings closed, following which, and in agreement with the Commission, individual air carriers could be permitted to recommence commercial flights to the EU, Norway, Switzerland and Iceland.”

The LCAA told the Air Safety Committee that: “The recertification process is planned to be completed in the case of Libyan Airlines and Afriqiyah by December 2012 and for the remaining air carriers by December 2013.”

This has clearly not been achieved, despite continuing safety checks and staff training. Mates said: “all Afriqiyah flight crews have been rechecked and revalidated using facilities in Tunisia, Cairo and Jordan, and locally at Gatwick. The pilots are fully competent to fly.” He added that the Afriqiyah aircraft have been checked by Airbus engineers themselves, by Air France, Lufthansa and Air Malta. “They’ve all been examined and passed as airworthy.” [/restrict]

Related Posts

CBL receives results from meetings with international banks
Business

CBL stats until end of September 2025: Libya has LD 8.4 billion surplus but US$ 6 billion deficit

October 17, 2025
Minister of Industry meets the Committee for Localisation of Oil Materials and Equipment Industry
Business

Minister of Industry discusses with Military Industrialization Organisation and private sector implementation of localisation of oil industries‎

October 17, 2025
Libya and Shell discuss several areas of cooperation
Business

Oil Minister Abdel Sadig participates in Houston’s Libyan-US Cooperation Dialogue on Strategic Sectors

October 17, 2025
Since reopening in June 2021, the Spanish embassy has been in full operation: Deputy Head of Mission Bordallo Sainz
Business

More than 65 Spanish companies attend business event on Libya in Madrid

October 17, 2025
CBL receives results from meetings with international banks
Business

CBL signs cooperation agreement with World Bank within Reserves Advisory and Management Programme (RAMP)

October 16, 2025
Business

“Enhancing the Interaction between Finance and Entrepreneurship” workshop held in Misrata

October 16, 2025
Next Post

Afriqiyah 2010 crash - report due February

Translating Libya’s vision into action through basic Project Management techniques

libyaherald-Ads

Top Stories

  • Atletico Madrid win Benghazi’s Reconstruction Cup after beating Inter Milan 4-3 on penalties – great political showpiece for Hafter

    Atletico Madrid win Benghazi’s Reconstruction Cup after beating Inter Milan 4-3 on penalties – great political showpiece for Hafter

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Emirates Airlines security delegation visits Tripoli to begin Mitiga Airport inspection tour

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • After its withdrawal from circulation of certain banknotes, CBL reveals that currency printed unofficially in Russia totalled to 6.5 billion dinars

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • National Oil Corporation discusses prospects for technical cooperation with America’s Halliburton

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Economic Conference on Diversifying Sources of Income held in Tripoli

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
ADVERTISEMENT
LibyaHerald

The Libya Herald first appeared on 17 February 2012 – the first anniversary of the Libyan Revolution. Since then, it has become a favourite go-to source on news about Libya, for many in Libya and around the world, regularly attracting millions of hits.

Recent News

Committee for Localisation of Oil Field Equipment invites local and international investors to manufacture oil materials and equipment locally

CBL stats until end of September 2025: Libya has LD 8.4 billion surplus but US$ 6 billion deficit

Sitemap

  • Why subscribe?
  • Terms & Conditions
  • FAQs
  • Copyright & Intellectual Property Rights
  • Subscribe now

Newsletters

    Be the first to know latest important news & events directly to your inbox.

    Sending ...

    By signing up, I agree to our TOS and Privacy Policy.

    © 2022 LibyaHerald - Powered by Sparx Solutions.

    Welcome Back!

    Login to your account below

    Forgotten Password? Sign Up

    Create New Account!

    Fill the forms below to register

    *By registering into our website, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
    All fields are required. Log In

    Retrieve your password

    Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

    Log In
    No Result
    View All Result
    • Login
    • Sign Up
    • Libya
    • Business
    • Advertising
    • About us
    • BusinessEye Magazine
    • Letters
    • Features
    • Why subscribe?
    • FAQs
    • Contact

    © 2022 LibyaHerald - Powered by Sparx Solutions.

    This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.