Qatar Airways on Monday announced it will soon start regular flights to the Libyan port city of Benghazi, which served as the country’s rebel capital until they took over Tripoli earlier this year.
A Qatar Airways 777-200LR (A7-BBF) on approach to JFK Airport. (Photo by Sergio Cardona)
Qatar’s flag carrier already serves the capital of Tripoli but was forced to suspend flights earlier this year when an uprising led to foreign countries imposing a no-fly zone over the African country. The airline said it expects to resume flights to Tripoli soon.
The new route to Benghazi, the second largest city in Libya, will launch on Tuesday next week. It operates four times a week non-stop from Doha, the capital city of Qatar, with an Airbus A320 dual configuration aircraft, offering 12 seats in First Class and 132 in Economy.
“Qatar Airways continues to strive to provide a network to cater for all travel segments, conveniently connecting through our Doha hub,” said airline CEO Akbar Al Baker. “Almost a year ago in Nice, I spoke about the possibility of expanding our Libyan operations, and I am delighted that we are now, within this short of a period, set to start flights to Benghazi, another key city in the country.”
He added: “We identified Benghazi as an underserved, primarily business destination, and now have the opportunity to bring this city into our fold.” Qatar Airways recognized Benghazi as a key destination for trade and exports, including in oil refining, food processing, cement production and tuna fishing.
Qatar Airways currently flies to more than 100 destinations worldwide and plans to increase this number to more than 120 by 2013.
