Afriqiyah Airways Seeks to Expand Internationally

Tripoli, Libya based Afriqiyah Airways recently announced in a press release that they have signed an agreement to purchase six new aircraft. The purchase will allow for the airline to expand international destinations from the heart of Africa. The purchase is for six A350-800 Xtra-Wide-Body (XWB) aircraft, Airbus Industries' newest aircraft. This is in addition to fourteen Airbus A320 narrow body aircraft currently on order by the airline.

"This order for the A350 XWB will allow us to prepare our ambitious but realistic expansion plan. It will allow us to capitalize on the recent decision by the Libyan Authorities to establish Tripoli as a major hub in Africa by building a totally new modern terminal of 20 million passenger capacity and upgrading Libya's airport facilities. The aircraft and the timing of delivery is right for us," said Captain Sabri, the CEO of Afriqiyah Airways.

Airbus Chief Operating Officer Fabrice Bregier also spoke highly upon the purchase of the new aircraft, which to date has sold slowly in Africa. "With this contract, the first from an African carrier for the A350 XWB, Afriqiyah Airways is a trend setter on the African continent. The aircraft will allow Afriqiyah Airways to be very cost efficient while offering the best cabin in this category, which perfectly fits the needs and ambitions of the airline. We greatly value this new order and will be alongside of Afriqiyah Airways to support their development plan over the years to come."

About Afriqiyah Airways: Afriqiyah Airways is a relatively new airline, having been founded in the year 2001. Afriqiyah comes from the Arabic language, and means Africa, an appropriate name for an airline who strives to be Africa's premier airline. Today, Afriqiyah Airways operates a fleet of seven aircraft to twenty-four destinations across North, Central and Western Africa, Europe and the Middle East. Today, Afriqiyah Airways is frequently rated as one of the worst airlines in the world, with very poor on time standards, with significant loss of luggage. These new aircraft will hopefully allow the airline to move up in the rankings, into a more favorable light.

About the ordered aircraft: The Airbus A350-800XWB is the newest design offered by Airbus. This new design came about for the need for lower emission airliners, which can fly longer, further and with more passengers than every before. By designing a plane which is lighter than even before, the stated goals can be accomplished, which can explain the use of carbon fiber technology in this new airliner. The A350-800XWB seats up to 312 passengers, but on average will hold around 270, allowing for the best of passenger comfort. The aircraft is designed to operate over 8,000 nautical miles, making it possible for Afriqiyah Airways to operate to nearly anywhere on the globe from its hub airport in Tripoli.