On Tuesday, Ryanair’s Chief Executive, Michael O’Leary said that Europe’s largest airline by passenger numbers is in talks with authorities in Libya and Egypt, about operating flights to the countries for the first time.
Ryanair’s only flights outside of Europe currently are to and from Morocco, Israel, and Jordan.
Its Hungary-based rival Wizz, which flies to Egypt and Morocco, has also been expanding aggressively into the Middle East, flying 36 routes from Abu Dhabi on its Wizz Air Abu Dhabi joint venture.
“We’re talking to the Libyans and the Egyptians,” O’Leary told a Eurocontrol event, without giving any more details.
Notably, the tumultuous political history of Libya has virtually removed it from the tourism map for many years. In 2011, the Libyan Revolution saw civil war breaking out in the country, leading to the deaths of 30,000 people. Although the war was over relatively quickly, the country was torn apart, with numerous rival militias maintaining a landscape of conflict for many years to come.
The second civil war in 2014 saw all foreign airlines stopping service to the country. A skeletal aviation industry was maintained by the likes of Libyan Airlines and Afriqiyah, but Tripoli International Airport was destroyed in the fighting. Since 2014, Mitiga International Airport has been functioning as the hub for the capital, although it too has been the subject of violent attacks.
The announcement of a permanent ceasefire in October 2020 was a welcome outcome. On that very day, the first commercial flight in more than a year from Tripoli to Benghazi took place. The aviation industry had begun its long flight back to normal operations.
Since then, much investment has been poured into Libya’s aviation sector, including the opening of the new Berniq terminal at Benghazi’s Benina International Airport in May this year. The new terminal is set up to be capable of handling 2.5 million passengers per year, and includes smart systems for passengers, three VIP lounges, and a first-of-its-kind for Libya COVID detection system.
Foreign airlines are starting to come back too, with Tunisair becoming the first airline to fly to Libya in seven years in May 2021. It has since been joined by EgyptAir, Smartlynx, and a few others, although the bulk of operations is still maintained by Libyan carriers.
