An Egyptian airline flight landed in the Libyan capital for the first time on Tuesday after an eight year pause in air travel between the two countries.
Flights are expected to operate once a week to and from Sharm El Sheikh International Airport to Mitiga International Airport in Tripoli until October 11.
In a welcome ceremony for the flight, upon arrival firefighting vehicles stationed on the runway sprayed the plane with water.
It is based on a tradition known as the “water salute”, which is used to mark either the first or last flight of an airline to an airport as a token of respect or as a welcome during notable events.
"There has been an agreement between Egypt and Libya to resume flights between the two airports that would be operated on a rate of one flight per week," the chairman of EgyptAir, Amr El Enein said in a statement.
Egypt said the move is aimed at reviving its tourism sector.
The resort on the southern tip of Egypt's Sinai Peninsula is reeling from the effects of the war in Ukraine, which have led to Ukrainians and Russians — previously among the town's top visitors — to stay away, authorities said.
The Covid-19 pandemic also badly affected the popular holiday destination.
Egypt's tourism revenues dipped sharply during the pandemic, recovering to nearly $12 billion in 2021, according to central bank data.
Mr El Enein said the flights will transport groups of tourists from Libya to the Egyptian Red Sea resort city.
Passengers will travel on a Boeing B737-800 aircraft that can carry 154 passengers.
In November, Sharm El Sheikh will host the Cop27 climate conference.
The move follows the resumption in April of daily EgyptAir flights between Cairo and Benghazi.
Mr El Enein said at the time that Benghazi is a strategically important destination given the large number of Egyptians who live there.
Last year, the two countries agreed to restart flights between them after a seven-year hiatus caused by severe security issues.
An uprising in Libya after the ousting of former president Muammar Qaddafi plunged the country into more than a decade of civil war.
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if you go
The flights
The closest international airport to the TMB trail is Geneva (just over an hour’s drive from the French ski town of Chamonix where most people start and end the walk). Direct flights from the UAE to Geneva are available with Etihad and Emirates from about Dh2,790 including taxes.
The trek
The Tour du Mont Blanc takes about 10 to 14 days to complete if walked in its entirety, but by using the services of a tour operator such as Raw Travel, a shorter “highlights” version allows you to complete the best of the route in a week, from Dh6,750 per person. The trails are blocked by snow from about late October to early May. Most people walk in July and August, but be warned that trails are often uncomfortably busy at this time and it can be very hot. The prime months are June and September.
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Fighter profiles
Gabrieli Pessanha (Brazil)
Reigning Abu Dhabi World Pro champion in the 95kg division, virtually unbeatable in her weight class. Known for her pressure game but also dangerous with her back on the mat.
Nathiely de Jesus, 23, (Brazil)
Two-time World Pro champion renowned for her aggressive game. She is tall and most feared by her opponents for both her triangles and arm-bar attacks.
Thamara Ferreira, 24, (Brazil)
Since her brown belt days, Ferreira has been dominating the 70kg, in both the World Pro and the Grand Slams. With a very aggressive game.
Samantha Cook, 32, (Britain)
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Already a two-time Grand Slam champion in the current season. Gramenius won golds in the 70kg, in both in Moscow and Tokyo, to earn a spot in the inaugural Queen of Mats.
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The drill
Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.
Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”
Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”
Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.”
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ICC men's cricketer of the year
2004 - Rahul Dravid (IND) ; 2005 - Jacques Kallis (SA) and Andrew Flintoff (ENG); 2006 - Ricky Ponting (AUS); 2007 - Ricky Ponting; 2008 - Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI); 2009 - Mitchell Johnson (AUS); 2010 - Sachin Tendulkar (IND); 2011 - Jonathan Trott (ENG); 2012 - Kumar Sangakkara (SL); 2013 - Michael Clarke (AUS); 2014 - Mitchell Johnson; 2015 - Steve Smith (AUS); 2016 - Ravichandran Ashwin (IND); 2017 - Virat Kohli (IND); 2018 - Virat Kohli; 2019 - Ben Stokes (ENG); 2021 - Shaheen Afridi
