‘Libya was always a very important market for Air Malta’ – Executive Chairman David Curmi

Air Malta Executive Chairman David G Curmi has highlighted the importance of the Libyan market to Malta’s national carrier.

“The resumption of scheduled services between Malta and Tripoli is seen by Air Malta as an important step. Libya was always a very important market for the airline, and we are happy to have had the opportunity to discuss commercial operations to the country with our Libyan counterparts.”

His comments were made in the wake of Air Malta operating a flight to Tripoli’s Mitiga Airport on Thursday morning. It was the first time the airline flew to Libya since 2014.

The unscheduled flight transported a delegation led by Minister for Finance and Employment Clyde Caruana and Air Malta’s Executive Chairperson where discussions surrounded the resumption of flights between Malta and Tripoli.

Indeed, back in 2014, a spokesperson for the national airline remarked that the closure of Libyan airports caused Air Malta “a substantial amount of lost revenue every month”.

Due to the raging conflict at the time, Libya closed the airport in Benghazi in mid-May 2014 while Tripoli airport was closed in June 2014 after it was bombarded by militias fighting for control of the country’s largest airport.

Following the one-day visit, Minister Clyde Caruana said that; “Seeing the Air Malta plane on Libyan soil for the first time in years is certainly a positive sign.”

“We must continue working together to see progress in aviation. Malta and Libya supported each other on many fronts over the past decades, and we will continue strengthening this strong relationship between the two peoples.”