EgyptAir announces daily flight from Cairo to Benghazi after 8-year suspension

Egyptian national flag carrier says this is part of a plan to expand operations in Africa

A plane takes off from Benina Airport, east of Benghazi, on July 15, 2017. Reuters

Flights between Cairo and the Libyan city of Benghazi resumed this week after an eight-year hiatus caused by deteriorating security in Libya following an uprising that ousted former president Muammar Qaddafi.

A statement from the country’s national flag carrier EgyptAir on Monday confirmed that a new daily flight between the two cities would now be operated on a Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

Previously, flights to Libya from Egypt were operated only from Burj Al Arab airport, the closest Egyptian airport to the Libyan border.

In the airline’s statement, the chairman of its holding company, Amr Abou El Enein, said that the resumption of flights to Benghazi is part of the expansion of the airline’s presence in Africa. He said that the Egyptian Ministry of Civil Aviation shared its interest in growing EgyptAir’s presence in Africa.

Abou El Enein said that Benghazi in particular is seen as a strategically important destination given the large number of Egyptians who reside there.

He added that EgyptAir is also keen on re-invigorating trade between the two countries.

The neighbouring countries agreed in September to take the necessary steps to resume flights between them. Following the agreement, two Libyan airlines, Afriqiyah Airlines and Libyan Airlines, resumed their flights from the Libyan cities of Mitiga and Benina to Cairo.