Lufthansa International Consulting has been accredited by the Tripoli based Libyan government to oversee the establishment of a new state airline.
The revelation was made during today’s Tripoli meeting of the founding committee of the new proposed and yet-to-be-named airline.
The meeting was chaired by Minister of Transport and Financial Advisor to Tripoli based Libyan Prime Minister, Mohammed Al-Shahoubi, in the presence of the head of the Executive Team of the PM’s Initiatives and Strategic Projects, Mustafa Al-Mana, the head of the Civil Aviation Authority, Mohamed Shalibek, committee member Idris Kashkar, along with members of the committee.
During the meeting it was decided that Lufthansa International Consulting will provide consultancy ‘‘according to the highest standards, including the preparation of feasibility studies, the application of corporate governance principles, and the quality assurance of operational services’’.
The Tripoli Libyan government said this meeting comes within the framework of the government’s efforts to launch the under-construction Tripoli International Airport and develop the country’s airport network. It also comes as part of an integrated vision to strengthen the civil aviation sector that contributes to improving air transport services and investing in Libya’s strategic location as a regional hub for air transport.
It will be recalled that the Libyan state has two existing commercial airliners that are heavily subsidised and overstaffed, Libyan Airlines and Afriqiyah Airlines. It is unclear what the Tripoli government’s rationale is for establishing a new carrier. This naturally raises questions about the continued existence of the current two airliners.