(Dec 1): A privately owned Libyan airline is making the Opec member’s biggest passenger-jet order since the 2011 revolution, seeking to tap local appetite for international travel that state-owned carriers like Afriqiyah Airways are struggling to meet.
Buraq Air — which signed an initial agreement with Airbus SE for 10 A320neo family aircraft in November — wants to more than double its fleet and boost Libya’s direct links with the rest of Africa and Asia, according to General Manager Ezzeldin AlHalooj.
“We’re striving to be the leading company in Libya,” he said in a phone interview.
The carrier, which began operations in 2002 with flights to the desert country’s oil fields, currently flies a handful of single-aisle jets from Boeing Co, Airbus and Embraer SA on domestic routes and to Egypt, Tunisia and Turkey.
The new drive reflects a period of relative stability in Libya, after the ouster of long-time ruler Muammar el-Qaddafi was followed by a decade of conflict and the country’s split into eastern and western governments.
Although the political division is unresolved, there hasn’t been major fighting between the rival administrations for several years. Exxon Mobil Corp, Shell plc and Chevron Corp are among oil majors eyeing a return, while both competing authorities are keen to drum up international investment and rebuild.
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Buraq, based in the North African country’s capital, Tripoli, will start receiving the Airbus planes in 2031 or 2032, AlHalooj said. He didn’t give more details on which African and Asian locations they might fly to.
Buraq isn’t the only local carrier with expansion plans. Berniq Airways — based in the largest eastern city of Benghazi — bought six A320s last year to grow its regional and international routes.
The private growth contrasts with stasis at national carriers Libyan Airlines and Afriqiyah, which have struggled to maintain their operations or grow fleets since the conflict.
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All Libyan carriers are currently banned from operating in the European Union, which alleges national aviation authorities have “inadequate safety oversight”.
AlHalooj said the choice of Toulouse, France-based Airbus over Boeing was made due to the strong logistical support available, as well as potential access to training, maintenance and spare-parts centres in Africa.
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