No Result
View All Result
Friday, July 18, 2025
23 °c
Tripoli
24 ° Sat
24 ° Sun
  • Advertising
  • Contact
LibyaHerald
  • Home
  • Libya
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Magazine
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Register
SUBSCRIBE
  • Home
  • Libya
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Magazine
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Register
No Result
View All Result
LibyaHerald
No Result
View All Result
Home Libya

Reopening of Tripoli International Airport on Friday

byNigel Ash
February 13, 2017
Reading Time: 2 mins read
A A
Reopening of Tripoli International Airport on Friday

The VIP entrance to the rebuilt Tripoli International airport (Photo: FMD)

By Libya Herald reporters.

The VIP entrance to the rebuilt Tripoli International airport (Photo: FMD)
The VIP entrance to the rebuilt Tripoli International airport (Photo: FMD)

Tripoli/Tunis, 12 February 2017:

Tripoli International Airport at Gasr Ben Gashir, destroyed in 2014 by Libya Dawn militias, is to be reopened on Friday, the sixth anniversary of the Revolution, by the man who later became Libya Dawn’s political face. He is expected to accompanied by Salah Badi, the very man who led the 2014 attack on it. He is the leader of the Samoud Front which is the backbone of the new Tripoli-based Libyan National Guard now acting as Ghwell’s army.

Last October Khalifa Ghwell resurrected his National Salvation Government when gunmen helped him seize Tripoli’s Rixos complex, declared the Presidency Council and the Government of National Accord overthrown and the NSG back in power.

Ghwell has since several times upstaged the PC, bouncing deputy chairman Ahmed Maetig at the commissioning of a new turbine at Khoms power station, holding board-style meetings with GECOL executives and temporarily occupying three government ministries.

RELATED POSTS

Aldabaiba stresses need to complete Airport Road works in full in conjunction with imminent opening of Tripoli International Airport

All recently clashing state and militia forces and their military vehicles will return to their barracks as of yesterday evening

Fire engulfs the terminal building (photo:social media)
Fire engulfs the main terminal building in 2014 (Photo:Social media)

When Ghwell announced last year that Tripoli’s international airport was being rebuilt there was widespread incredulity.  A video he put out showed a single digger pecking at a tangle of reinforcing steel. The main terminal was completely destroyed in August 2014 a day after a Misratan militia commander Salah Badi took the airport from Zintani militiamen who had run it since the Revolution. During the fight at least three passenger planes were completely destroyed and most of the others damaged beyond repair. The control tower was also hit.

However,  new facilities have been built, including a VIP section, and paid for by Ghwell.

An Italian construction consortium visited Tripoli International Airport with a view to making an offer to reconstruct it (Photo: LAA).
Italian construction executives visiting the airport ruins  (Photo: LAA).

The GNA had also announced rebuilding plans for what it renamed “Idris Airport” after the former king. It said last October that it was in discussions with an Italian consortium whose executives had visited the ruined site. Work was due to start this year.

The Ghwell rebuilding appears to have been mostly undertaken using local contractors with some Turkish involvement. It is not yet clear what technical work was necessary to fix the control tower. Ghwell’s highly active Foreign Media Department last week invited international media to fly in to Mitiga to cover the Tripoli International reopening ceremony.

Significantly, it told foreign journalists wanting to attend that they had to travel to Libya via Misrata.

Mitiga, the more logical point of entry, is the base for the Rada Special Deterrence Force led by Abdul Raouf Kara,  a supporter of the PC and Government of National Accord.

The concern now is that when the old airport once again becomes fully operational (and, just as importantly, airlines agree to move there), Ghwell’s LNG militias will attack Mitiga in order to crush Rada and Kara. The aim would be to put it out of business and scupper the PC and its government of national accord which would then have no means of getting in and out of Tripoli.

Continue Reading
Tags: featuredGhwellGNAGovernment of National AccordLibyaNational Salvation GovernmentPCPresidency CouncilTripoli International Airport

Related Posts

ACA reveals 94,000 cases of state sector salary duplication in 2015
Libya

National Strategy for Prevention and Combating of Corruption (2025-2030) launched by ACA

July 17, 2025
Western Mountain Military Region conducts operation around Ghadames against drug trafficking and transnational organised crime
Libya

Western Mountain Military Region conducts operation around Ghadames against drug trafficking and transnational organised crime

July 17, 2025
Nearly 11,000 migrants repatriated from Libya and 3,165 Mediterranean fatalities: IOM
Libya

12,338 migrants intercepted at sea and returned to Libya up to 12 July: IOM

July 17, 2025
ACA reveals 94,000 cases of state sector salary duplication in 2015
Libya

ACA suspends the Executive Director, the Chairman and 6 Board members of GNMTC

July 16, 2025
ACA reveals 94,000 cases of state sector salary duplication in 2015
Libya

Three Fisheries officials temporarily suspend from work by Administrative Control Authority suspected of corruption

July 15, 2025
ACA reveals 94,000 cases of state sector salary duplication in 2015
Libya

ACA saves LD 409 million on school textbook printing, suspends Tripoli Education Ministry’s Textbook Warehouse Manager

July 15, 2025
Next Post
Hungary looks to reopen Tripoli embassy

Hungary looks to reopen Tripoli embassy

PC declares new Ghwell’s Libyan National Guard illegal

ADVERTISEMENT

Top Stories

  • Libyan Railways Implementation Authority invites International Federation of Railways to participate in November workshop

    China to resume implementation of its stalled railways projects in Libya

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Libya and Nigeria discuss gas projects, extension of export pipelines to Europe and high-level delegation visit to Tripoli

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Former ATIB bank Chairman Naaman Elbouri recalls his unjust kidnapping and detention – calls on CBL Governor to implement law against those unjustly accused

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Tripoli based Libyan government plans to complete 150,000 housing units by 2030

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Fuel subsidies reached LD 60 billion, 30 percent of which is smuggled – therefore can invest just LD 5 bn in housing: CBL Governor Issa

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
ADVERTISEMENT
LibyaHerald

The Libya Herald first appeared on 17 February 2012 – the first anniversary of the Libyan Revolution. Since then, it has become a favourite go-to source on news about Libya, for many in Libya and around the world, regularly attracting millions of hits.

Recent News

National Strategy for Prevention and Combating of Corruption (2025-2030) launched by ACA

Western Mountain Military Region conducts operation around Ghadames against drug trafficking and transnational organised crime

Sitemap

  • Why subscribe?
  • Terms & Conditions
  • FAQs
  • Copyright & Intellectual Property Rights
  • Subscribe now

Newsletters

    Be the first to know latest important news & events directly to your inbox.

    Sending ...

    By signing up, I agree to our TOS and Privacy Policy.

    © 2022 LibyaHerald - Powered by Sparx Solutions.

    Welcome Back!

    Login to your account below

    Forgotten Password? Sign Up

    Create New Account!

    Fill the forms below to register

    *By registering into our website, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
    All fields are required. Log In

    Retrieve your password

    Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

    Log In
    No Result
    View All Result
    • Login
    • Sign Up
    • Libya
    • Business
    • Advertising
    • About us
    • BusinessEye Magazine
    • Letters
    • Features
    • Why subscribe?
    • FAQs
    • Contact

    © 2022 LibyaHerald - Powered by Sparx Solutions.

    This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.