Aviation expert Dr. Mohamed Mohamed Issa clarified that the newly announced airline “Libyan United Airlines (LUA)” is a fully private company owned by Libyan businessmen, separate from any official government or state-holding entity.
This clarification comes following reports by the Aviation Week Network about plans to establish a new national airline under the name “Libyan United Airlines,” expected to begin operations in early 2026. The announcement aimed to revive the air transport sector after years of disruption.
Dr. Issa explained that public confusion arose due to the similarity in name and timing between the official announcement of a government holding company and a personal post by the appointed CEO. He emphasized that “Libyan United Airlines (LUA)” is not a holding company and should not be legally or regulatorily linked to any government body.
The new private company aims to operate Airbus A320 aircraft to meet growing demand for short and medium-haul flights. In early December, Ziyad Ferhoud was appointed as its first CEO. In a LinkedIn post, he expressed enthusiasm for leading the launch, stating their vision is to offer an integrated travel experience, connecting Tripoli to key destinations in North Africa, the Middle East, and beyond, while committing to modern service standards and authentic Libyan hospitality.
Dr. Issa added that establishing a private airline is a legitimate right and could be a positive addition to the market if it meets safety and governance requirements. He stressed the importance of clarifying the company’s nature and ownership to the public to avoid any media confusion.
The expert noted that this incident highlights the weakness of official institutional discourse and the delay in issuing clarifying statements, which leaves room for media interpretation. He called for relying on clear, official statements to manage the aviation sector instead of individual social media posts.
This new project emerges against the backdrop of limited resources at the two existing state-owned carriers, Libyan Airlines and Afriqiyah Airways, which currently possess only two aircraft each (A320 and A330 models). Dr. Issa concluded by reiterating that “Libyan United Airlines (LUA)” is entirely private and unrelated to any state-holding company, affirming that institutional critique remains essential to protect transparency and public opinion from ambiguity.
