A Libyan airline is allegedly making use of a legal loophole, circumventing an EU ban, to "revive the Malta-Benghazi link."
Air Libya has reportedly managed to get round the ban by leasing an aircraft registered in a European country, which is allowed to fly in the EU.
Currently, all Libyan airlines are banned from flying into EU airspace. The situation has remained pretty much the same after NATO had imposed a no-fly zone over the country as it imploded in 2011. But a loophole exists and Air Libya has found out about it. The airline has leased a Boeing B737-500 from Aerovista, a Georgian aircraft leasing company which has a base in Malta.
The ACMI contract also provides for maintenance, crew and an air transport certificate valid in the EU, according to Africa Intelligence. "The company leased this same aircraft and another Boeing to Air Libya in December 2014 but suspended the contract in 2015 on security grounds before reactivating it again in 2016," the report says.
Aerovista was in the news in 1999 – the year of its foundation – when it sold a Russian turboprop transport plane to the Taliban.
According to Africa Intelligence at least one Malta to Benghazi flight has taken place over the past few days. The aircraft was reportedly carrying an ally of General Haftar. The resumption of flights to the east has benefited the powerful military commander, giving him an important political and diplomatic victory, the report says. This newspaper could not verify that an Air Libya flight departed from Malta but it seems that the flight was registered as Aerovista, not Air Libya.
Afriqiyah could also use loophole
In the meantime, Afriqiyah Airways is reportedly also planning to start regular chartered flights between Labraq (Tripoli) and Misrata airports to Malta.
Like all other Libyan airlines, Afriqiyah is banned from flying into the EU, including Malta. But according to information available online, the company has also been going round the ban using the same loophole that is now being used by Air Libya, to fly to London. In fact, Afriqiyah has wet-leased an Airbus A320 from Air Moldova, which complies with the EU requirements.
Malta International Airport has said that Afriqiyah has not yet made a request to fly to Malta. The airline remains on the EU blacklist.
Just over a month ago, two Libyans hijacked an Afriqiyah flight and diverted the plane to Malta. All hostages and crew were released unharmed after an operation that lasted several hours. The fact that Afriqiyah's announcement comes hot on the heels of the hijack has raised eyebrows in Malta.
Industry sources have said that the EU ban loophole is dangerous and that the issue is not the airworthiness of the aircraft but the security at the point of origin of the flight. One source pointed out that, irrespective of the certification (or lack thereof) of the hijacked plane, two individuals had still managed to get on board with replica guns and grenades.
Questions have been sent to the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
from The Malta Independent http://ift.tt/2kqFniw
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