Libya and Malta agree to resume flights

Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Libya and Malta have agreed to resume flights between the two countries, after establishing safety and executive arrangements, in accordance with the relevant laws of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

The agreement came during a visit to Maitigua International Airport, on the eastern outskirts of Tripoli, by a delegation from the Maltese government, led by the Minister of Finance, to assess the readiness of Libyan airports to receive international flights.

The two sides agreed to strengthen bilateral relations and to open a sea field between Malta and Misrata, 220 km east of Tripoli, for the next period.

Most airlines stopped flying to Libya in 2014 due to the deteriorating security situation in the wake of clashes between armed groups in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, during which the international airport was partially burned.

However, since the establishment of the new Interim Unified Executive Authority, following the completion of the political process under the aegis of the UN, Libya has entered a phase of normalisation.

This has allowed the return of embassies and international diplomatic missions as well as the resumption of some air links with Tunisia and Egypt.

-0- PANA BY/JSG/BBA 2July2021