Libyan Infrastructure

Icon for Libyan Infrastructure

Libya has a good infrastructure thanks to its development projects since the 1970s. A number of major international airlines fly to Libya regularly.

The infrastructure for the Air Transportation

  • Prior to 2011, a number of major international airlines were flying to Libya regularly, including British Airways, Air Malta, KLM, Lufthansa, Swiss, Alitalia, Austrian Airways, and Afriqiah.
  • Currently major reliable Libyan airlines flying outside Libya regularly particularly to Turkey, Tunisia Egypt, and Malta
  • Libyan Arab Airlines (LN) and Buraq provide frequent internal services between Tripoli, Benghazi, Sebha, Al Bayda, Mersa Brega, Tobruk, Misurata, Ghadamès and Al Khufrah.

Roads and Libyan Infrastructure

  • The main through road follows the coast from west to east. Main roads are Al Qaddahia–Sebha, Sebha–Ghat, Tripoli–Sebha, Agedabia–Al Khufrah, Garian–Jefren, Tarhouna–Homs, Mersa Susa–Ras, Hilal–Derna and Tobruk–Jaghboub. Signposts in Arabic script are encouraged; signs and house numbers are, in any case, rare outside the main towns.
  • Petrol is available throughout Libya, and is currently about a tenth of the price of that in Britain. There are no reliable town maps. The quality of servicing is generally poor by European standards, as is the standard of driving. Traffic drives on the right.
  • Buses & taxis: There is a bus service between Tripoli and Benghazi. A minibus service operates from Benghazi to Tobruk. Taxi fares should be agreed in advance.

Car rental

  • Self-drive cars are available in Tripoli and Benghazi. Documentation: national driving licenses are valid for three months. After that a Libyan license must be obtained.
  • Thrifty is a globally recognized car rental service providing its services in Libya. For more information please check: http://www.thrifty.ly

Telecommunications

  • General Post and Telecom Company (GPTC), established in 1984 is licensed to provide the full range of telecommunications services in Libya and is an investor in El Madar, the Libyan GSM network provider.
  • GPTC provides basic voice services – international and local, digital leased lines, telex, fax and Internet.
  • The GPTC is now 100% digital. GPTC was the exclusive distributor of ICO’s mobile satellite communications services in Libya in 1999.
  • GPTC is a participant in the Pan-Arab satellite mobile communication Thuraya. Thuraya’s footprint covers the Middle East, North Africa, parts of central Africa and Southern Europe.
  • Libya first started with a cellular network in 1996. The telecommunications network is currently being modernized.
  • Postal services to Libya can take an average of 7 to 12 days for airmail. Surface mail can take longer.
  • There is no guarantee that mail will be delivered. Therefore using a good courier service for delivery of business correspondence is recommended. Internal mail is relatively cheap, fast and efficient.
  • Courier companies, such as UPS, now provide more reliable delivery times for packages and mail.