The Minister of Transportation in the Libyan Government of National Unity (GNU), Mohamed Al-Shahoubi, explored ways to expand the resumption of air traffic to Libya and signed several memoranda of understanding to implement joint programmes.
This took place during his participation in the Future Aviation Conference, which began on Monday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The conference saw extensive participation from transport ministers, heads of civil aviation authorities, international organizations, and companies involved in international civil aviation.
During several meetings on the conference’s sidelines, Al-Shahoubi discussed providing technical support to the Civil Aviation Authority and initiating joint initiatives aimed at quickly addressing all requirements to resume unrestricted air traffic.
The Ministry of Transport said in a statement that Al-Shahoubi agreed to sign multiple memoranda of understanding to kickstart the implementation of the agreed-upon programmes and plans.
The minister held numerous work sessions with various conference participants, including meetings with the Tunisian Minister of Transport, the Director General of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for Africa and the Middle East, the Director General of the ICAO’s Middle East Regional Office, the President of the ICAO Council, and its Secretary General.
Additionally, he met with Saif Al Suwaidi, Director General of the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), and Abdelnabi Manar, Director General of the Arab Civil Aviation Organization.
Discussions during meetings with civil aviation authorities from Qatar, Egypt, and Jordan also focused on the resumption of flights to Libya. Al-Shahoubi further engaged with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to address these issues.
Last month, the French Ambassador to Libya, Mostafa Mihraje affirmed his country’s commitment, through its membership in the European Union, to lift the ban on Libyan civil aviation.
On 11 December 2014, the European Commission banned Libyan airlines from passing over EU member states’ airspace, due to safety control concerns in a country experiencing periodic security tensions.
