Libyan Arab Airlines - any info?

[Pax Vobiscum]

Mrs PV and I are thinking of taking a break in the Great Libyan Jamahiriya, which would include some internal flights on the above airline. Has anyone any experience of what we might expect - 1st/2nd/3rd world standards? I notice their fleet includes quite a few 727s, which are presumably not very new (it's been almost 15 years since I last flew on one)!

Any info gratefully received.

[GwynM]

I flew on them a lot in the early 80's, and they were OK. At least there wasmore room than an Air Malta 737, and the coffee was the best I've ever tasted on a flight. I've heard that the 727s are what remains of the fleet from then, just canibalised to a few remaining aircraft because of the US sanctions.

SPLAJ is a great country, the people were friendly and supportive, and the archaeology is astounding. I just wish I'd done more than drinking, lying on the beach and playing rugby (and chasing dental nurses):D

[Pax Vobiscum]

Thanks GwynM.

Drinking? I'd understood Libya to be dry (hence my trying to talk Mrs PV out of it as a holiday destination) - or were you on orange juice?

[computer jockey]

Officially, Libya is dry, but booze can be fairly easily obtained - it's usually smuggled in from Malta. I worked for 5 years in Libya and when I left, the guys I worked with gave me a leaving party lubricated with 2 cases of Heineken and several bottles of Johnny Walker ;)

As for Lib Arab, I only flew on them once, on an ageing F27 from Gailo to Tripoli, stopping at nearly every desert strip on the way. I always remember seeing the carcase of another F27 half buried in the sand at the end of the runway in Gailo. Apparently it "didn't make the runway" several years ago, and no-one bothered to clear it up!
We used another internal airline - Tibesti, I think - to fly from Tripoli to Benghazi which was quite reasonable.

[GwynM]

Officially dry, but home brew was the norm. 3 of us brewed about 100 liters every 10 days (but we did go out 3 or 4 nights a week). Hop extract had to be brought in (thank you Maurice Chant of Fishponds Road in Bristol for the "liquid soap"), but tins of malt extract were readily available as a baby food.
3 tins of biomalt
6 tins of sugar
a bit of hop extract
50 litres water
leave for a week (stir often for 4-5 days)
bottle
drink when everything else had run out
we even had beer festivals in Benghazi

[bear11]

God knows what you'll be flying on - the B727s and the Fokkers are trashed mostly and they're trying to sell them off if they can, presumably as parts. Quite a few airlines have done wet-leases in Libya, mainly Tunisair/Nouvelair A320s, also Croatian 320s and Air Malta, so your guess is as good as mine. They seem to be out of favour these days as Buraq have ordered and taken some -NGs, and Afriqiyah have Airbuses on order. The only thing that has changed is the name, they're called Libyan Airways these days.

[Pax Vobiscum]

Thanks for your help everyone - we haven't yet decided whether we're going or not, but if we do fly with them I'll let you know what I find.

They seem to be a bit confused about their name - the official web site (www.ln.aero) is 'under construction' and refers to Libyan Airlines. The only active web site is www.libyanarabairline.com.

[WHBM]

Some of the experiences above are from the "old days". Libyan still haven't got going again properly with their own arrangements and lease in from a range of operators as they can. Air Malta appears to be currently favoured operating A320s for them.

A couple of independents have filled the void in part, Afriqiyah and Buraq.

[Pax Vobiscum]

Thanks WHBM - it doesn't sound as though they have much cover in the event of (say) a tech problem.