Libyan militia forces Qatar Airways flight to abort landing in Tripoli

Qatar Airways flight QR528 inbound from Doha Int'l to Tripoli Int'l on Sunday, August 4, was forced to divert to Alexandria Borg el Arab after an armed militia are said to have forced Tripoli ATC tower staff to deny it permission to land anywhere in the country. The aircraft, an A320-200, then refuelled in Egypt and returned to Qatar. 

The incident happened after another group of men, on Saturday, forced the Qatar Airways office at Tripoli International Airport to shut before ordering all staff to leave. 

A sign was posted on the airline’s office door in Arabic, reading, “Closed by the order of the Libyan people." The group reportedly said that they intended to prevent Qatari passenger and cargo aircraft from landing in Libya, but failed to explain their reasons. They also said that they intended to force the closure of the downtown Qatar Airways office in Tripoli Tower."

In mid June, the airline suspended flights to Benghazi after an incident involving a group of Libyan protesters from the Ezzedine Al-Waqwaq brigade forced a group of mostly Bangladeshi passengers back onto their Qatar Airways flight to Doha. Various demonstrations and riots in Libya and Tunisia in the last two months have centred on alleged Qatari involvement and backing of Libyan Salafists and the Muslim Brotherhood.

Source: CH-Aviation