On Saturday, the Maltese Ambassador to Libya, Charles Saliba, announced the launch of the first flights of the private Libyan airline MedSky Airways from Valletta Airport in Malta to the Libyan Misurata Airport.
Saliba said he will shortly announce further news about flights from Malta that will include other Libyan cities.
It is the first flight for Libyan airways that operates flights in the European space, since the European Union’s (EU’s) 2014 ban.
The EU has imposed a ban on all Libyan airlines in European airspace since 2014 over safety concerns, after violent clashes erupted in the Libyan capital Tripoli between rival armed groups. These clashes almost destroyed the city’s international airport.
In January 2022, the European Commission renewed its ban on Libyan airlines from flying in European airspace. The measure covers all airlines from Libya. According to the European Commission’s website, the decision came for reasons of safety and security.
The European safety list of banned airlines included Afriqiyah Airways, Libyan Airlines, Buraq Air, Ghadames Air Transport, Global Aviation and Service Group, Air Libya, and Petro Air. However, the newly created MedSky is not included on the ban list.
The seven Libyan airlines are among 115 companies around the world subject to an operating ban or operational restrictions within the EU for not complying with the international safety standards, according to the EU.
In March 2011, the United Nations (UN) Security Council adopted Resolution 1973, establishing a ban on all Libyan airspace in order to protect civilians during the uprising that toppled Moammar Gaddafi’s government, according to Xinhua.
Libya seeks to lift the EU ban. Libyan officials hold frequent meetings with the Ambassadors of European countries, especially Malta, Italy and Greece, to discuss the resumption of flights with those European countries.