Turkish Airlines restart flights to major city in Libya
Turkey’s flag carrier, Turkish Airlines, has resumed scheduled flights to Misrata in Libya after a ten-year hiatus, according to Middle East Monitor via Anadolu on September 2nd.
Flights to Misrata, Libya’s third largest city and located in northwestern Libya, were initially suspended in 2015 as a consequence of civil unrest in Libya, but have now resumed from Istanbul Airport.
Scheduled flights will operate three days a week to begin with, on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
It is the latest development in the burgeoning relationship between Turkey and Libya, with Turkish delegations visiting the eastern Libyan administration and forming relationships with the Tripoli-based, UN-supported administration.
Turkey has moved to solidify relations, particularly with the eastern Libyan administration aligned with Khalifa Haftar, through establishing military and naval cooperation.
Furthermore, Turkey has already diversified its interests in Libya’s aviation industry within the eastern Libyan region, with Turkish companies signing contracts with the Libyan Development and Reconstruction Fund to boost infrastructure for seven airports across eastern Libya.
Attempting to balance diplomacy and cooperation with both rival administrations, the resumption of flights to Misrata in western Libya illuminates Turkey’s position as a regional intermediary for Libya, as well as contributing to Libya’s economic vision for the future.
Turkey’s Ambassador to Tripoli Guven Begec, Libyan Transport Minister Muhammad Al-Shahoubu and several other officials attended the ceremony held for the Turkish Airlines planes landing at Misrata International Airport.
Begec remarked that the resumption of the Misrata flights signifies the strong bonds between Turkey and Libya, and it can yield progress economically and commercially.
Recently, Libya has attempted to open itself up and create more accessible tourist routes in an attempt to expand tourism revenue streams.
The new launch of Libya’s e-visa system has attempted to modernise the tourist experience and attract larger amounts of people in a bid to diversify the Libyan economy, reducing the reliance on state oil revenues and foster greater economic stability.
Middle East Monitor via Anadolu, Maghrebi.org, UNDP
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