By Libya Herald reporter.
Benghazi, 2 May 2017:
Benghazi’s Benina Airport is to reopen on 16 May, the third anniversary of its closure in 2014, normally reliable sources working there have told the Libya Herald.
However, officials at Afriqiyah Airways have also told this newspaper that they have had no instructions as yet to change ticketing to Benina from Labraq, currently operating as the airport for the Benghazi and Jebel Akhdar areas.
Nonetheless, there have been a series of distinct gradual steps towards reopening.
In February, the airport management asked the Libyan National Army (LNA) for permission to restart civil flights, saying that it was now safe to reopen. Following that there were a number of one-off VIP flights using the airport. Then at the beginning of last month, the civil aviation authorities gave permission for all cargo, air ambulance, humanitarian and VIP flights to resume.
This was seen as the final set before a full reopening.
Restarting commercial flights from Benghazi, even though the battle against the militants is not fully over in Sabri and Suq Al-Hout, would send a powerful message that the fight is effectrvely all but over.
