After recently re-commencing operations to the EU, Afriqiyah Airways has now been forced to suspend operations to European destinations after the airline’s leasing provider, which provided Afriqiyah Airways with aircraft and crew for its EU operations, moved to cancel its contract with the Libyan-based airline. Afriqiyah Airways had recently established a wet-lease agreement with a Georgian-based aircraft leasing provider, VistaGeorgia. However, a recent fatal attack on foreign flight crew residing at a Tripoli-based hotel has subsequently prompted AeroVista to terminate its operational contract with Afriqiyah Airways, after significant concerns were raised regarding the security of its crew within Libya.

The Moroccan and Egyptian civil aviation regulators have both moved to formally suspend all operations to Libya. The regulators have also closed their airspace to all Libyan operators entering due to the deteriorating security situation within Libya. Both regulatory authorities stated that the failure of Libyan operators to adhere to internationally recognised standards in safety and security oversight prompted the regulators to close their airspace to Libyan operators. The ban prohibits any Libyan operator from entering Moroccan or Egyptian airspace, which also includes any over-flying transit operations.

The newly appointed Government of Sri Lanka has recently revealed plans to merge the operations of its two state-owned airlines, SriLankan Airlines and Mihin Lanka. Both airlines, which continue to be operated as individual entities, have recorded consecutive years of ailing financial performance. With SriLankan operating as a full-service International carrier and Mihin Lanka operating as a regional Low-Cost Hybrid Carrier, the airlines had failed to generate any significant success in their respective markets while they were operating as separate entities. A merger of the two operators is expected to generate significant operational efficiencies and reduce their overheads. No formal merger date has yet been set.