Libya's Government of National Unity (GNU) in Tripoli and Boeing have discussed a plan to develop and train staff for Libyan United Airlines (LUA), the new carrier the government is preparing12. In a virtual meeting on 5 November 2026, the two sides looked at which professional, administrative and technical staff the airline will need to start up and operate, and at how Boeing could help train them12. No aircraft order, training contract or recruitment drive for pilots was announced12.

What did Libya and Boeing discuss?

The meeting was led by Mustafa Al-Mana, head of the Executive Team for the Prime Minister's Initiatives and Strategic Projects, according to the GNU's Hukumitna platform on 5 November2. The government said the talks covered using Boeing's global capabilities to train and qualify Libyan personnel, and transferring technical and operational knowledge through specialised training programmes12. The stated aim is a national workforce able to manage and operate the airline in line with international standards1.

Boeing was represented by Ibrahim Alfarhan, marketing director; Karim Freund, account director for the Middle East and Africa at Boeing Global Services; and Michael Castle, a senior aviation consultant12. The government statement does not say how many people will be trained, which roles come first or who will run the courses. It does not single out pilot training, type ratings or maintenance staff12.

How far has the Libyan United Airlines project come?

The meeting follows a series of face-to-face and virtual meetings that began in Washington in October 202534. On 2 May 2026, the GNU's Ministry of Transport announced that it had signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Boeing at the office of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio3. According to the government, the agreement covers support for programmes to acquire modern aircraft, technical cooperation and aviation infrastructure built to international standards35. The Libya Observer described the document as a memorandum, signed by Transport Minister Mohammed Al-Shahoubi5. A meeting in January 2026 dealt with the size of the fleet and with training and development programmes for national personnel6. A meeting on 1 October 2026 covered the fleet, technical support, operations and training, as well as the feasibility study and the financing model4.

The airline already has a name, a logo and a chief executive: Ziad Farhoud, a former Airbus employee who has led Wings Airlines and Crown Airlines7. On its social media accounts, LUA describes itself as "a newly established, privately owned airline", while the government calls it the national carrier78. Farhoud has said the airline will connect Tripoli with North Africa, the Middle East and beyond7. Libya already has two state carriers, Libyan Airlines and Afriqiyah Airways, and in August 2025 the government appointed Lufthansa International Consulting to oversee the founding of a new airline9. AGBI reported in March 2026 that LUA would be created from a merger of the two state carriers10. The government statements on the Boeing talks do not mention a merger14.

The fleet has not been announced. AeroTime reported in December 2025 that the carrier was seeking Airbus A320s and that the fleet size had not been disclosed11. The Boeing agreement mentions support for aircraft acquisition, but no order has been made public35.

Can a new Libyan airline fly to Europe?

Not with its own aircraft while the current ban stands. All air carriers certified by the Libyan authorities have been on Annex A of the EU Air Safety List since December 201412. The list published on 9 June 2026 names ten of them, including Libyan Airlines and Afriqiyah Airways13. When the Commission bans every airline from a country, carriers that are not named are still prohibited from operating in the EU14. A new airline certified in Libya would therefore fall under the same ban14.

In its June 2026 update, the Commission said Libya's Civil Aviation Authority had submitted information in December 2025 and met the Commission and EASA on 7 May 202612. The Commission identified shortcomings in staffing, inspector qualifications, competency management and technical training programmes, as well as in airworthiness oversight. It found insufficient evidence that the deficiencies behind the 2014 ban had been resolved and saw no grounds to change the listing12. A banned airline may still serve the EU with aircraft wet-leased from an airline that is not banned, provided the safety standards are met14.

Who will fly for Libyan United Airlines?

No pilot recruitment was announced after the 5 November talks12. A recruitment event LUA held in Tunis in June was for cabin crew; it drew more than 600 candidates over two days, Tuniscope reported15. The government says it wants to give priority to building and qualifying Libyan talent so that Libyans lead the sector12.

For pilots in the region and for expat pilots weighing a move, several key details are still unknown. The first is the fleet: no type has been confirmed, and the type chosen will determine which type rating crews need, as our explainer on how a type rating works sets out. None of the published statements on the talks mention an ab initio or cadet scheme, or a licence route12; our guide to the ATPL and MPL routes compares the two. As explained above, a Libyan-certified airline cannot fly to the EU with its own aircraft while the ban stands1214. New openings appear on our pilot jobs page and in our recruitment news.