The European Union has renewed its ban on Libyan airlines operating within its airspace, citing ongoing security issues in the North African nation. The EU recently updated its list of prohibited airlines, maintaining the existing restrictions on Libya. This decision affects a total of 90 airlines from 15 countries, including 11 from Africa, with Libya being one of them.
The ban, which also includes airlines from countries like Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Angola, and others, has been in place since December 11, 2014.
Initially, the ban was implemented due to concerns regarding passenger safety and the inability of the Libyan Civil Aviation Authority to fulfill its international obligations regarding the safety of its aviation sector.
Other African countries facing a complete ban on their airlines in the EU include Angola, Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Liberia, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, and Sudan.
The renewal of this ban was anticipated by analysts, including Libyan analyst Moataz Belaid, who suggested that this move is a form of pressure on nations and a security measure for Europe to prevent the transfer of conflicts within its borders. Belaid also mentioned that improvements in Libya’s political stability, through a strong government with clear objectives and priorities, might lead the EU to reconsider its stance in the future.
