Afriqiyah (8U) has placed an order for 3 new A330-300s for delivery from April 2013 onwards, according to aviation site FlightGlobal.Afriqiyah states that its chief signed the deal for the additional jets on 23 April. The carrier's fleet was damaged in an assault on Tripoli airport during the Libyan unrest a few months ago.
It says it plans to reinstate services to London Gatwick in May, although Afriqiyah has not indicated how it will achieve this given the temporary suspension of Libyan operators from European Union airspace.
No mention on how this will affect the proposed merger with Libyan Airlines which has been in the offing since 2010, or on if or when they will recommence flights to sub-Saharan Africa. Still, the fact that fleet renewal is slowly becoming a reality, is a fantastic step forward.
