By Ayman Amzein.
Benghazi, 23 May 2017:
Benghazi-bound passengers had a pleasant surprise when their Libyan Airlines flight from Alexandria was diverted today from Labraq because of a ghibli (dust storm) and landed instead at Benghazi’s Benina airport.
Able to save themselves to 200km road journey, a number of passengers disembarked. A further surprise was that Benina, though still not officially open, appeared to be fully-staffed, with customs and immigration officials on hand to process their arrival.
The airport was badly damaged when fighting raged around it in 2014. It has since undergone repairs and modernisation. It had been due to reopen on 16 May but this has not yet happened.
Labraq, which has been closed in before by ghiblis was later declared clear and the remaining passengers completed their journey.
