Muammar Gaddafi’s ‘Flying Palace’ has landed in Tripoli after spending a decade in France.
Gatekeepers News reports that a private plane belonging to Libya’s late leader Muammar Gaddafi, ‘Flying Palace’ has landed in the nation’s capital Tripoli after spending a decade in France.
According to Domestic and pan-Arab outlets, the giant plane, an Airbus A340 was earlier in France for safekeeping and maintenance.
Flying Palace flew over the skies of Tripoli before landing at Mitiga International Airport near the capital city.
Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, who was at the airport to see the plane arrive said the plane’s maintenance and other procedures had been completed
The Prime Minister’s office while announcing this on Facebook added that the interim government has paid all the needed costs for its return to Libya.
Dbeibah stated that of the remaining 14 jets, 12 were scheduled to fly back to Libya, while the government was working on the return from abroad of the two outstanding ones.
Gaddafi’s jet, also known as the “Flying Palace”, flew at low altitude over Tripoli’s historical landmarks and circled the area before touching down.
Dbeibah on whether it would be used by the authorities or for other, public purposes, said “the Libyan people are the ones who will decide its fate”.
According to him, the return of the famous plane to the country was a “positive step for Libya, its security and wealth”.
The luxurious plane, which has attracted the attention of international media over the past years, has been described by some as “the Airbus with the [James] Bond villain interior”.
Gaddafi, who led Libya for four decades is well known as an eccentric figure who appeared on the world’s stage in his unique style.
Following a popular rebellion in February 2011, Gaddafi was killed in his hometown of Sirte during hostilities triggered in October of the same year.
Libya’s new governing authority, the Government of National Unity (GNU) led by Dbeibah, who took over power from the previous Tripoli-based government, was sworn in March 2021 in an UN-sponsored election process.
