The United Nations-recognised Libyan Government of National Unity (GNU) has added an A319-100 which had been recently returned to service by state-owned Afriqiyah Airways, ch-aviation research reveals.
The 15.7-year-old aircraft, 5A-ONI (msn 4004), was seen at Tripoli Mitiga in a livery featuring the official seal of the Tripoli-based GNU, led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, and GNU titles near the front door. ADS-B data shows the aircraft recently flew under the state flight code 'LYB' from Tripoli Mitiga to several destinations not served by Afriqiyah's on a scheduled basis, including Madrid Barajas, Paris CDG, Rome Ciampino, and Zurich.
This A319 joins a Legacy 600 also flying under the 'LYB' code from Tripoli Mitiga. The aircraft was previously operated by the Executive Authority for Special Flights (EACS), though it is unclear whether this remains the case. A 2016 resolution placed the agency under the purview of the Libyan House of Representatives, which used to back the GNU but has since shifted its allegiance to the rival Benghazi-based Government of National Stability (GNS).
The fleet of EACS Aviation also included a Falcon 900EX EASy, stored at Tripoli Mitiga since May 15, 2024, and an A340-200, stored at Basel/Mulhouse/Freiburg, CH since November 1, 2023.
Afriqiyah continues to operate another A319-100. In a December 2024 exclusive interview with ch-aviation, Almois Mostafa Ben Esmaiel, Afriqiyah's bureau director for cooperation and international relations, listed two A319-100s, five A320-200s, and two A330-200s as the carrier's active fleet. Seven other aircraft were damaged during Lybia's civil war, while Afriqiyah's only dedicated freighter, an A300-600R(F), remains stored at Istanbul Sabiha Gökcen.
