Air Malta cancels Benghazi flights

Tripoli, 24 January 2013:

Air Malta has today, Thursday, cancelled two flights scheduled between Benghazi and Malta, amid growing concerns about security in the country’s eastern city.

The Maltese airline said the move responded to: “Advice issued today by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office advising against all travel to the city.”

North American and European embassies today issued warnings of an imminent threat to Westerners in Benghazi and urged nationals to leave the city immediately.

Flight KM698, scheduled to depart from Malta at 16:35 and arrive in Benghazi at 17.55 was cancelled, along with the return route, KM699, which usually departs at 18:55, arriving in Malta at 20:15.

Air Malta’s Tripoli services have not been affected.

The Maltese airline’s next scheduled flight to Benghazi is on 29 January and this has not been cancelled. However, Air Malta said that it would review the situation on an ongoing basis. It added it “always placed the safety and security of its staff and customers as its highest priority.”

There have been reports of disruption to other flights from the capital to Benghazi. A lunchtime flight was heavily overbooked and another in the afternoon was cancelled.