Libyan Airlines

Infobox Airline
airline = Libyan Airlines
الخطوط الجوية الليبية

logo_size = 125
fleet_size = 10 (+17 orders)
destinations = 27
IATA = LN
ICAO = LAA
callsign = LIBAIR
parent = Libyan African Aviation Holding Company
founded = 1965
headquarters = Tripoli, Libya
key_people = Eng. Tareck Arebi, Chairman (CEO)
hubs = Tripoli International Airport
Benina International Airport
focus_cities = Benghazi (Benina International Airport)
alliance =
website = http://www.ln.aero/

Libyan Airlines (Arabic: الخطوط الجوية الليبية; transliterated: al-Khutut al-Jawiyah al-Libiyah), formerly known as Libyan Arab Airlines, [ [http://www.aaco.org/airlines_libyan.asp Libyan Airways] AACO] is the national flag carrier airline of Libya, based in Tripoli. It operates scheduled passenger and cargo services within Libya and to Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Its main base is Tripoli International Airport.cite news | title= Directory: World Airlines | work= Flight International | page= 105 | date= 2007-04-03] The airline carried 885,000 passengers in 2007, of which 40% travelled on domestic services. It ­expects to carry 950,000 passengers this year. Libyan Airlines and Afriqiyah Airways, Libya's other state carrier, have recently been grouped under Libyan African Aviation Holding Company, an umbrella organisation created to oversee a co-ordinated development of Libya's air transport sector.(May 20, 2008), Endres, Gunter, [http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/05/20/223823/libya-to-restructure-air-transport-sector.html Libya to restructure air transport sector] , "FlightGlobal", Accessed May 20, 2008] The airline is also a member of the Arab Air Carriers Organization and the International Air Transport Association.

History

Libyan Airlines was established in 1964 as Kingdom of Libya Airlines and started services in October 1965 using Caravelle jets to Europe. It later operated as Libyan Arab Airlines and Jamahiriya Libyan Arab Airlines. Boeing 727 aircraft were operated on European services during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The London Heathrow service was stopped in the 1980s due to political problems. Boeing 707s were used on long-haul services.Fact|date=June 2007

After the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, a Boeing 747, over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988, the United Nations imposed sanctions on Libya. All international operations ceased in 1992 as a result of UN trade sanctions imposed when Libya refused to hand over two government agents allegedly involved in the Lockerbie bombing. For a little more than ten years, the airline was forced to fly only to domestic destinations using old aircraft. The embargo was finally lifted in April 1999, allowing the airline to gradually rebuild its international services. In 2001 Air Jamahiriya was merged into Libyan Arab Airlines .

After the ending of international sanctions against Libya, Libyan Airlines as LAA reopened its first international route in over a decade to Amman, Jordan, in April 1999.

Operations

Libyan Airlines and Afriqiyah Airways, together with business jet operator United Aviation, and their handling, maintenance and catering companies, have recently been grouped under Libyan African Aviation Holding Company. The handling, maintenance and catering organisations had previously been separated from Libyan Arab Airlines, with the flying activities refocused under the name of Libyan Airlines. LAAHC is owned by four government entities: the ­Libyan National Social Fund (30%), Libyan National Investment Company (30%), Libya-Africa Investment Fund - previously the owner of Afriqiyah Airways - (25%), and the Libyan Foreign Investment Company (15%). The LAAHC has been created in a bid to privatise much of the airline's operations, and further strengthen the probability of a merger between the two state airlines. The codeshare set to be implemented on all flights of the two airlines from June this year is the first step towards a merger.

The carrier has been negotiating with aircraft manufacturers for new jet planes for its fleet. The extra jets would allow the airline to expand services to cover most of Africa, many European cities, as well as connections to China, India, Pakistan, Japan, the Philippines, Canada and the U.S. The airline recently upgraded a previous Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Airbus for the purchase of 15 new aircraft, four A350s, four A330-200s and seven A320s to a firm order. [(Dec 10, 2007), [http://www.airbus.com/en/presscentre/pressreleases/pressreleases_items/07_12_10_libyan_airlines.html Libyan Airlines to order 15 Airbus aircraft including A350s, A330s and A320s] , "Airbus Press Releases", Accessed Dec 10, 2007]

The reason for expansion is to continue to replace the airline's ageing fleet after three Bombardier CRJ900 regional jets were delivered last year, with options remaining on another two aircraft. It would also be to fend off increased competition. A programme is in place to increase personnel and technical capacity. Four cargo planes, with a capacity of about 100 metric tonnes, would also be purchased under the plan. [(November 10, 2006), [http://allafrica.com/stories/200611100736.html "Libyan Airline Plans Major Expansion"] , "allafrica.com", Accessed Nov 11 2006]

One of the purposes of the renewal would be to attract European tourists to Libya in a bid to raise passenger numbers. The airline continues to launch new destinations as part of expansion plans; a twice weekly Milan-Tripoli service began on November 18th, 2006 with other new European destinations being considered.

Ticketing systems, inflight entertainment and an online presence are among the operational areas the airline is now looking at. [(Dec 2006), [http://www.ttnworldwide.com/Articles.asp?Article=6125 "New aircraft to underpin Libyan Airways’ reconstruction"] , "Travel and Tourism News Middle East (TTN)", Accessed Jan 3, 2007.] As of September 2007, the airline has begun to issue electronic tickets. [(Sep 1, 2007) [http://www.libyaninvestment.com/libya-news/2007-09-01-01-Libyan%20-Airlines-begin-issuing-electronic-ticket.php Libyan Airlines begin issuing electronic ticket] "Libyaninvestment.com", Accessed Sep 4, 2007]

Destinations

:"Main article:" Libyan Airlines destinations

Codeshare agreements

Libyan Airlines operates the following codeshare routes:
*Frankfurt with Lufthansa
*Vienna with Austrian Airlines
*Zurich with Swiss International Airlines
*All routes with Afriqiyah Airways

New destinations

The airline plans to add two new international routes this summer to Madrid and Athens, with Mumbai targeted for next winter. One city in China is also targeted for the near future. The airline plans to launch a route to a French city in the near future, but bilateral agreements allow for only seven flights between France and Libya. The airline has requested 28, but were offered only two additional flights from winter 2008/09, and only from regional airports.

Fleet

The Libyan Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft (as of 3 June 2008):

As of 3 June 2008, the average age of the Libyan Airlines fleet is 8.6 years ( [http://www.airfleets.net/ageflotte/Libyan%20Arab%20Airlines.htm] ).

Incidents and accidents

On February 21, 1973, a Boeing 727 of Libyan Arab Airlines was shot down by Israeli air forces that suspected the civilian jet was an enemy plane. Among 113 on board 1 crew member and 4 passengers survived.

References

External links

* [http://www.ln.aero/ Libyan Airlines]

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