Libya, Qatar Airways open dialogue to resume flights

Qatar Airways and the Libyan government have opened talks over the possible resumption of flights to Libya, suspended earlier this year following repeated safety violations and threats to the airline from Islamist militias. 

The Libyan Herald states that Libya’s Minister of Transport, Abdel-Qader Mohamed Ahmed, has met the acting Qatari charge d’affaires, Nayef Abdullah Al Emadi, though did not disclose whether any agreements had been reached. Qatar Airways first suspended flights to Benghazi in June after an incident involving a group of Libyan protesters from the Ezzedine Al-Waqwaq brigade which forced a group of mostly Bangladeshi passengers back onto their Qatar Airways flight to Doha Int'l. 

Then in August, a Qatar Airways A320 was forced to divert to Alexandria Borg el Arab after an armed militia forced Tripoli Int'l ATC tower staff to deny it permission to land anywhere in the country. Various sections of the Libyan religious far right have accused the Qataris of involvement with and backing the Libyan Salafists and the Muslim Brotherhood.

Source: CH -Aviation