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The first flight between Athens (Eleftherios Venizelos) International Airport and Benghazi’s Benina Airport is scheduled to take place on 2 March, Greece’s Ambassador to Libya, Stavros Venizelos, confirmed from Benghazi to Libya Herald today. The flight will be operated by Marathon Airlines.
The confirmation comes after the Greek Consulate in Benghazi had confirmed earlier that Marathon Airlines had conducted its first trial flight from Athens to Benghazi on 29 January.
Marathon Airlines is planning two flights per week using its Embraer 175 planes with a capacity of 88 seats.
Ambassador Venizelos also confirmed that the Athens flight will be the first international flight to and from Benghazi’s Benina airport to use the new Berniq Terminal. He also hoped that the flights would help to some degree with limited cargo shipments within the capacity of the aircraft.
Visas to be issued from Benghazi by June?
The Ambassador confirmed that the Greek Consulate in Benghazi was not technically ready to issue visas locally but that their processing company, VFS Global, will start receiving applications in Benghazi and send them to Tripoli for processing. He hoped visas could be issued from Benghazi by June.
The EU flight ban?
With regards to the EU flight ban on regular scheduled flights the Ambassador hoped the ban will be lifted soon, adding that there is a new world dynamic today with regards to world energy.
Referring to the visits by Greek inspectors over the last year, he said Benina’s Berniq modern terminal now complied with IATA requirements which might have helped in the decision to resume flights with Athens.
Other flights
It will be recalled that there had been on and off charter flights run by the Malta-based MedAvia between Tripoli and Malta.
The Malta-based MedSky Airlines started flights between Misrata and Malta in May 2022 and added flights between Malta and Tripoli on 2 February. The airliner also announced that it had conducted a flight from Berlin to Misrata last Friday.
Flights between Crete and Benghazi expected to start soon (libyaherald.com)
Medsky to start flights from Tripoli to Malta (libyaherald.com)
Medsky Airways adds a second Airbus 320 to its fleet (libyaherald.com)
Medsky flies first Berlin to Misrata flight (libyaherald.com)
