EgyptAir Resumes Flights to Benghazi

An EgyptAir plane (Asharq Al-Awsat)
An EgyptAir plane (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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EgyptAir Resumes Flights to Benghazi

An EgyptAir plane (Asharq Al-Awsat)
An EgyptAir plane (Asharq Al-Awsat)

EgyptAir announced that it would operate daily direct flights between Cairo and the Libyan city of Benghazi starting on 18 April this year, after an 11-year suspension due to the deteriorating security situation following the "revolution" that ousted the late President Muammar Gaddafi.

The Libyan authorities allowed the resumption of flights to Libya from Cairo International Airport after flights were limited to Burj al-Arab Airport in Alexandria.

The decision coincided with the visit of the Prime Minister of the Libyan Government of National Unity Abdelhamid Dbeibeh to Cairo, during which several agreements.

EgyptAir said in a statement that the flight to Benghazi is part of its keenness to boost its presence in Africa and in line with the Egyptian Ministry of Civil Aviation's vision to bolster its presence in Africa.

A daily fight will be operated between Cairo and Benghazi via modern Boeing 737-800 aircraft, said the statement.

The company chairman, Amr Abu el-Enein, said the Egyptian flag carrier gives special importance to the strategic points, including Benghazi, to serve Egyptian expatriates and increase trade exchange between the two countries.

Abu el-Enien added that the airline would operate Boeing 737-800 flights between Cairo and Benghazi daily.

The company urged its clients to reserve their tickets by contacting its customer service center on 1717, accredited tour operators, or its website for reservations.



Syria's New Rulers Name Foreign Minister

Asaad Hassan al-Shibani. (SANA)
Asaad Hassan al-Shibani. (SANA)
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Syria's New Rulers Name Foreign Minister

Asaad Hassan al-Shibani. (SANA)
Asaad Hassan al-Shibani. (SANA)

Syria's new rulers have appointed a foreign minister, the official Syrian news agency (SANA) said on Saturday, as they seek to build international relations two weeks after Bashar al-Assad was ousted.

The ruling General Command named Asaad Hassan al-Shibani as foreign minister, SANA said. A source in the new administration told Reuters that this step “comes in response to the aspirations of the Syrian people to establish international relations that bring peace and stability.”

The opposition Syria TV said Shibani, formerly known as Zeid al-Attar, was in charge of foreign affairs when the Al-Nusra Front transformed into the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group.

Syrian media said that until 2024, he has been residing in Türkiye. Along with HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, he helped form the al-Nusra Front.

Shibani assumed several pseudonyms, including Nassim, Abu Aisha, Abu Ammar al-Shami and Hussam al-Shafei.

Born in 1987, he hails from the Hasakeh countryside. He was studying translation before his family moved to Damascus where he earned a degree in English Literature from Damascus University. He earned a master's degree in political science and foreign relations in Türkiye in 2022.

Syria's de facto ruler Sharaa has actively engaged with foreign delegations since assuming power, including hosting the UN's Syria envoy and senior US diplomats.

Sharaa has signaled a willingness to engage diplomatically with international envoys, saying his primary focus is on reconstruction and achieving economic development. He has said he is not interested in engaging in any new conflicts.

The United States, other Western powers and many Syrians were glad to see groups led by the HTS topple Assad.