Afriqiyah Airways

Infobox Airline
airline = Afriqiyah Airways
الخطوط الجوية الأفريقية

logo_size = 205
fleet_size = 9 (+21 orders, 8 options)
destinations = 24
IATA = 8U
ICAO = AAW
callsign = AFRIQIYAH
parent =
founded = 2001
headquarters = Tripoli, Libya
key_people = Captain Sabri Saad Shadi(Chairman)
hubs = Tripoli International Airport
alliance =
website = http://www.afriqiyah.aero/

Afriqiyah Airways ( _ar. الخطوط الجوية الأفريقية) is an airline based in Tripoli, Libya. It operates domestic services between Tripoli and Benghazi and international scheduled services to over 20 destinations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Its main base is Tripoli International Airportcite news | title= Directory: World Airlines | work= Flight International | page= 51 | date= 2007-03-27] . The name "Afriqiyah" comes from the Arabic language word for Africa. The 9.9.99 logo on the side of Afriqiyah's airplanes refers to the date of the Sirte Declaration which marked the formation of the African Union. The idea was for Afriqiyah to be the "Airline of Africa" with its hub in Tripoli.

Afriqiyah Airways is a member of the Arab Air Carriers Organization and the International Air Transport Association.

The airline expects to carry 655,000 passengers in 2008. With the continued launching of new routes, Afriqiyah aims to carry 1 million passengers by the end of 2009. The airline generated US$120 million in revenue in 2006. [ [http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?id=20808&t=1&c=33&cg=4&mset= "Political, visa issues driving Libya's Airbus orders"] , "Business Intelligence Middle East" Accessed May 30, 2008 ]

History

The airline was established in April 2001 and commenced scheduled services on 1 December 2001. It is wholly owned by the Libyan government and has 287 employees (at March 2007). The airline started off with Boeing 737-400 aircraft, but in 2003 introduced all Airbus equipment.

Afriqiyah Airways has signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the acquisition of six Airbus A320s and three Airbus A319s plus an option on five, as well as for three Airbus A330-200s, plus three options. [ [http://www.airbus.com/en/presscentre/pressreleases/pressreleases_items/07_18_06_afriqiyah_airways.html Afriqiyah Airways Orders ] (Airbus Press Release: July 18, 2006)] This acquisition is part of the long-term expansion strategy of the young Libyan airline. The first A319 was delivered on September 8, 2008.

The new A320s and A319s will be put into service on Afriqiyah’s growing international network, covering routes from its base at Tripoli to 17 destinations in North-, West- and Central Africa and the Middle East, as well as to European destinations such as Paris, Brussels, Geneva, London, Rome and Amsterdam. Afriqiyah’s A319s will carry 124 passengers in a two-class configuration [Aviation Week & Space Technology, Vol. 169 No. 10, 15 Sept. 2008, "A319 for Afriqiyah", p. 16] , while the A320 will seat 150 in comfortable two class configurations. The A330s will serve the long haul operations on routes to Southern Africa, Asia and Europe and will have a three-class configuration with 253 seats.

Destinations

New routes

In the future, Afriqiyah Airways will introduce new services to Delhi, Istanbul and Beirut.(May 20, 2008), Endres, Gunter, [http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/05/20/223823/libya-to-restructure-air-transport-sector.html Libya to restructure air transport sector] , "FlightGlobal", Accessed May 20, 2008]

The airline has already taken delivery of one of its ordered A319s and has deployed on the new Dubai route in a two-class configuration. Two of the three A330s will also be delivered this year and the third next year. They will be used to inaugurate new routes to Johannesburg and China.

Other planned new destinations (subject to approval) include [ [http://www.afriqiyah.aero/infowherewefly.asp Afriqiyah Airways Official Website, "Where We Fly"] , Accessed Apr 16, 2007] :

* Brazzaville (Republic of the Congo) or Kinshasa (D.R. Congo)
* Manchester (United Kingdom)
* Marseille (France)
* Nairobi (Kenya) [(Sep 10, 2007), [http://www.eastandard.net/hm_news/news.php?articleid=1143974270&catid=14 Libyan airline eyes Kenya] , "The Standard", Accessed Sep 14, 2007]

Fleet

The Afriqiyah Airways fleet consists of the following aircraft (as of 29 September 2008) [http://www.ch-aviation.ch/aircraft.php?search=set&airline=8U&al_op=1] :

As of 1 September 2008, the average age of the Afriqiyah Airways fleet is 11.7 years ( [http://www.airfleets.net/ageflotte/Afriqiyah%20Airways.htm] ).

References

* [http://www.aerotransport.org AeroTransport Data Bank]

External links

* [http://www.afriqiyah.aero/ Afriqiyah Airways]
* [http://www.afriqiyah.be/ Afriqiyah Airways (Benelux)]
* [http://www.aerotransport.org/php/go.php?q=Afriqiyah+Airways Afriqiyah Airways at ATDB: profile, history and events, contacts and management, historical/current/planned aircraft in fleets]
* [http://www.ch-aviation.ch/aircraft.php?search=set&airline=8U&al_op=1 Afriqiyah Airways Fleet]

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