Air traffic resumes at Tripoli’s Mitiga International Airport after unrest

​​​​​​​By Mohammed Ertima and Rania Abu Shamala​​​​​​​

TRIPOLI, Libya/ISTANBUL (AA) - Air traffic at the Mitiga International Airport returned to a regular schedule, the director of the airport, Ibrahim Farkash, announced Saturday.

“Air traffic at the airport has returned to normal in accordance with the schedules approved before the incidents that took place in Tripoli,” Farkash told Anadolu. “All foreign airlines have resumed operations normally.”

Regarding Hajj flights, Farkash said that “there has been a change in the schedule of flights to the holy sites, with the first flight from Mitiga Airport now scheduled for next Wednesday, after it was postponed on Friday due to the events.”

Tripoli saw protests Friday in which demonstrators held Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh’s government responsible for recent armed clashes in the capital, with some calling for its resignation.

The clashes first erupted Monday following the death of Abdel Ghani al-Kikli, who heads the Stability Support Apparatus affiliated with the Presidential Council.

The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) expressed concern Tuesday about the clashes.

"UNSMIL is deeply alarmed by escalating violence in densely populated neighborhoods of Tripoli for the second night in a row, placing countless civilians at grave risk," it wrote on X, calling for an "immediate, unconditional" ceasefire in all populated areas.

Libya has remained in turmoil since 2011, when longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi was ousted after four decades in power.