Bmi to run Heathrow-Libya flights

Monday, 27th September 2010

Low cost airline bmi is to go head-to-head with British Airways. The carrier has announced plans to run daily flights from London to Libya. The new competition which will be created between the two rival airlines could well lead to great price drops for customers.

The upcoming bmi route will run between London Heathrow Airport and Tripoli Airport in Libya. Bmi, which plans to increase links for oil workers, is hoping to start flying from December this year. Up until now, many oil workers have been flying with bmi from Aberdeen to Heathrow and then switching to British Airways for the remainder of the journey.

Bmi already fly to oil rich regions around the world, such as Jeddah and Riyadh in the Middle East. The carrier also runs flights to Almaty and Moscow in Eastern Europe and Freetown, Addis Abab, Cairo and Khartoum in Africa.

Business experts have suggested, however, that bmi might be moving into the Libyan market during politically sensitive times. The airline has dismissed the concerns, claiming that British Airways already runs daily routes to Libya and that business relations with the country are slowly improving.

In addition to oil workers, however, the route is also being targeted at leisure travellers, and UK tour groups are becoming keen to market vaccations in the Sahara desert. According to the latest reports, bmi flights to Libya will be sold at £265, a competitive price which may cause British Airways to drop their rates in response.

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