by Hadi Fornaji.
Tripoli, 19 September:
Passengers on new Airbuses, the . . .[restrict]first of which has just been delivered to Libyan Airlines, will be able to makes calls from on board.
The state-of-the-art new Airbus A320, of which Libyan Airlines has ordered seven, can also have its seating reconfigured, according to a flight’s requirements. The aircraft, which will be used on both domestic and international routes, can have a range of cabin configurations, from a standard two-class layout with 108 economy passengers and 32 business class seats, to a 156 all economy cabin.
Airbus reported that Sabri Shadi, the former chairman of Libya Airline’s parent, the Libyan Aviation Holding Company had said on at the time of the handover of the first new Airbus: “Libyan Airlines strives to continuously improve the flying experience for our customers. Our new A320, offering the best cabin comfort, and equipped with state-of-the-art connectivity, will bring unprecedented levels of service to our market. This is a major milestone in the history of Libyan Airlines.”
John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers, added: “The A320 is the most modern, efficient and comfortable single aisle aircraft available on the market. We look forward to working with Libyan Airlines as they continue their fleet renewal and expansion.”
One of the selling points claimed by Airbus, is that all of their fly-by-wire jets have the same cockpit configuration, meaning that training pilots on different Airbus types, takes minimal extra time.
Last month, Libyan Airlines’s sister carrier, Afriqiyah Airways, with which there are plans for it to merge, converted an order for three Airbus A321 into the larger, twin-aisle A330-200s. [/restrict]