Libyan Wings (YL, Tripoli Mitiga) has deferred delivery of its first aircraft - a pair of A319-100s on lease from the Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) - as a result of the North African country's continuing instability.
The start-up had planned to use cn 2878 and 2954, formerly with Philippine Airlines (PR, Manila Ninoy Aquino International), to launch short-haul operations during the third quarter of this year.
However, DAE Managing Director Khalifa H. AlDaboos told Gulf News that those plans had now been deferred indefinitely with the aircraft to be placed with another unspecified carrier.
We are willing to support them whenever they are ready as long as we have a full hold on our assets and they are able to get out," he said.
The onset of heavy inter-factional fighting and the dislodging of the internationally recognized government of Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni in August this year has resulted in a dangerous power vacuum. al-Thinni earlier this week told Dubai's al-Arabiya TV news that forces loyal to government were now advancing on Tripoli from the west and would also seize the main border crossing to Tunisia.
