Cost of some internal flights to be halved

Tripoli, 25 May:

The cost of flights between Tripoli and a number of towns in Libya is to be cut by half . . .[restrict]following a government decision to increase subsidies. The routes are to Ghat, Ghadames, Obari, Jufra, Kufra and Tobruk.  Flights between Benghazi and Kufra are being similarly reduced.

The First Deputy Prime Minister, Mustafa Abushagur, said during the government’s weekly conference in Tripoli on Wednesday that the programme aimed to ease people’s movement between Libyan cities.

He added that the government had also given permission to the Ministry of Communications and Transport to upgrade Tripoli’s second airport, Mitiga Airport at Suq Al-Juma, to international standards so that it can be used for internal scheduled flights as well as private, business and oil-sector aircraft.

Mitiga, formerly the country’s biggest military airport, started to be used for internal flights before the revolution. For some time afterwards it was used for international flights as well.  However, its facilities are limited.

Abushagur also said that the government had agreed to compensate Shorooq Handling Company and Samaa for damages to their facilities and equipment during last year’s liberation war.  They are to receive Company LD 20 million and LD 5 million respectively.