Libya Says ICAO Has Lifted Airspace Restrictions Imposed in 2015
Why It MattersLifting the restrictions removes a formal barrier that has kept Libya's civil aviation market narrow, potentially widening the set of carriers and destinations connected to the country.
Libya's Ministry of Transport said on Monday that airspace restrictions issued by the UN's International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in 2015, during the country's civil war, have been removed. The ministry said the decision was formally issued on October 23 and was announced by ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar at the opening of a meeting of Middle East civil aviation officials in Doha.
In a statement on its verified Facebook page, the Tripoli-based ministry said the measure came as a result of notable progress and the confidence placed in the capabilities of the Libyan civil aviation sector in recent times. The ministry added that ICAO's decision would be circulated to all 193 member states for implementation.
Libya slid into chaos after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in a NATO-backed uprising in 2011. A civil war broke out three years later between armed factions vying for power, dividing the country between eastern and western administrations. The conflict damaged up to 20 aircraft, including Airbus models, at Tripoli International Airport in 2014. Few airlines currently operate flights in and out of Libya, and they have long been limited to destinations such as Tunisia, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Sudan.
