Afriqiyah Airways (8U, Tripoli Int'l) chairman Abdulhakim Fares says the carrier's operations have begun to normalize despite the escalation of a civil war that has torn Libya in two. Speaking to Gulf News, Fares said demand as well as revenue inflows had improved following the carrier's switch to Tripoli Mitiga.
Despite half its fleet having been grounded following heavy fighting at Tripoli Int'l this year, Afriqiyah has continued to offer scheduled services to Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Niger, and Sudan.
Damaged aircraft, which include two A319-100s, one A320-200, and two A330-200s, are expected to return to operational service by the end of next year though this is contingent on insurance claims being settled, he said. A bank loan will also be taken out so as to secure two outstanding A330-200s - 5A-ONQ (cn 1499) and 5A-ONR (cn 1535) - on order from Airbus Industrie (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac).
Overall, in light of the airline's sizeable insurance bill, Afriqiyah Airways will not turn a profit in 2014, Fares said.
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