Afriqiyah Airways, an airline that operates out of Libya, and which is owned by the government of Libya, has resumed direct services from Libya’s capital city, Tripoli, to London Gatwick Airport in the UK.
The airline had previously cancelled its services out of Libya due to political unrest in the country, but it is now offering a three times a week, non-stop service from Tripoli to Gatwick Airport, which started on July 3, 2012. The airline will be operating the service using an Airbus A320 aircraft, which can seat up to 160 passengers.
Matthew Wood, the head of airline relations at Gatwick Airport, said, ‘We are delighted to welcome Afriqiyah Airways and its passengers back to Gatwick today and working together again to provide what we expect will be a popular route.’
Khaled Lazumi, the general manager for Afriqiyah Airways, in the UK, said, ‘I am very pleased that this day has finally come. It has been a very difficult year for us all but this day marks the dawn of a new relationship between the new Free Libya and the UK. I am very proud of my team who have worked hard to make this happen in this period of uncertainty.
We would like to thank Gatwick Airport and our business partners for their unwavering support. Similarly our travel agents and friends in the British travel industry have also supported us well and we look forward to renewing this relationship and we look forward to a prosperous future for both our countries.’
