By Moutaz Ali and Ashraf Abdul-Wahab.
Tripoli, 18 July 2014:
Libya’s Air Traffic Control says it is in the process of setting up an . . .[restrict]emergency temporary base so it can resume operations and help Libyans stuck in various locations outside the country to return home.
The announcement followed a meeting of the Prime Minister, the Minister of Transport, the Civil Aviation Administration, the management for Air Traffic Control and members of the Department of Aerial Surveillance.
Air Traffic Control has denied reports that its staff are on strike. It stated that they could not go to work because the clashes at the Tripoli International Airport made it impossible. The headquarters of the Air Traffic Control is at the airport.
It said that as of now all Libyan airplanes would be able fly to and from Libya, stating it was committed to helping all Libyans stuck abroad return home within the next 10 days .
It is estimated that there are about 6,000 Libyans waiting to return home. There have been discussions on using Tripoli’s Mitiga airbase and Misrata airport instead of Tripoli International Airport but the problem has been the absence of air traffic control services.
Afriqiyah Airways has meanwhile announced it is scheduling a number of departures as of tomorrow from Mitiga Airport.
On Saturday these will be:
Misrata-Tunis 13:20
Tunis-Mitiga 15:35
Mitiga-Alexandria 17:35
Alexandria-Mitiga 21:00
Mitiga-Casablanca 15:35
Casablanca-Mitiga 19:40
Labraq-Istanbul 09:00
Istanbul-Labraq 13:00
Labraq-Alexandria 15:00
Alexandria-Labraq 16:30
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