Libya’s economy recovers as airlines restore networks post-revolution

Libya has mounted a strong economic recovery, enticing international carriers to rapidly rebuild their capacity, withdrawn after a bloody revolution engulfed the northern African state in Feb-2011.

The country's two state-owned airlines, Libyan Air and Afriqiyah Airlines, which both suffered extensive damage to aircraft, resumed operations late 2011 and are gradually reestablishing their pre-war networks as aircraft return to service.

Their initial focus has been on linking key economic and political partners around the Mediterranean, including Turkey, and to the Middle East as well as Britain.

A merger of the two carriers is also progressing slowly though earlier expectations of a union in the first half of 2013 appear to have been put back to at least early 2014.

Meanwhile Turkish Airlines, Tunisair and EgyptAir lead the foreign airline capacity levels reintroduced.