Libyan airline Afriqiyah sets up Malta company

The Libyan airline Afriqiyah has set up a company base in Malta, MaltaToday is informed.

The company PanAfriqiyah set up home at BizAv Services Ltd in Lija, a company constituted of aviation management professionals specialising in EU-OPS air operator certification, airworthiness and quality and safety disciplines, business aviation consultancy, and VIP aircraft charters

BizAv also operates Alpha One, a joint venture with Meridian 8 and QuAero Ltd.

BizAv also includes former Air Malta captain Philip Apap Bologna.

Turkish Airlines was recently reported to be the European carrier which has been in talks with Afriqiyah Airways over the planned lease of the latter’s two A330-300s. The two airplanes were in storage at Teruel in Spain.

Turkish Airlines took delivery of the first of the two A330-300s on an eight-year lease. Its sister ship will join it later on this year and will be re-registered as TC-JON.

Owing to Libya’s ongoing civil war, Afriqiyah has never deployed either of the two aircraft into commercial service despite taking delivery of them from Airbus Industrie back in 2014.

Air Malta management are also in contact with their counterparts at Turkish Airlines over a possible strategic partnership, with talks revolving around the privatisation of the airline.