The Ministry of Transportation in the temporary Libyan Unity Government has signed an air transport agreement with Italy, along with a memorandum of technical cooperation between the civil aviation institutions.
This significant development took place during the visit of an Italian delegation to Tripoli, as announced by the ministry in a statement today.
The Italian delegation includes the President of the Italian Civil Aviation Authority, along with representatives from the Italian Presidency, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Italian airline company.
According to the statement, Khaled Nasr Sweisi, the Deputy Minister of Transportation for Air Transport Affairs, held discussions this Sunday morning at the Ministry’s headquarters with the Italian delegation on ways to enhance bilateral relations in the field of air transport.
The discussions focused on increasing the number of flights and air operators.
The statement emphasized that this agreement and memorandum will contribute to enhancing the efficiency and capability of civil aviation elements in Libya.
Moreover, the air transport agreement is expected to open “new prospects” towards the resumption of air traffic with European Union countries and enable Libyan airlines to regain their presence in European markets.
On September 30th, the first flight from Tripoli to the Italian capital, Rome, was operated by the private airline “Sama Al-Mawsat” after a decade-long hiatus.
In July last year, ITA, the Italian airline, conducted a test flight from Rome to the Libyan capital, Tripoli, with the Prime Minister of the temporary National Unity Government, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, on board.
This marked the return of direct flights to Italy in September as part of intensive efforts to lift the European ban on Libyan civil aviation.
Libyan officials have consistently pointed to the security improvements made to the air navigation system, enabling airlines to operate flights to destinations such as Turkey, Malta, Egypt, and Tunisia.
In December 2014, following the battle for Tripoli Airport in July-August 2014 and the outbreak of a civil war that led to political division, the European Union imposed a ban on all Libyan airlines from entering EU airspace due to concerns about passenger safety and the aviation sector.
