Irish budget carrier Ryanair is being forced to divert flights from Trapani airport in Sicily from Monday because of military operations over Libya, the airline said on Sunday.
The airport, on the western tip of Sicily at the foot of the Italian peninsular, doubles as a military base. It is located about 350 miles (560 km) from the westernmost point of Libya.
Ryanair said Trapani would be closed to civilian traffic indefinitely from Monday and that it would divert its flights to Palermo. It said 28 flights would be affected on Monday.
The move marked the first reported direct impact from the Libyan conflict on airline operations outside the country.
Eurocontrol, the European air traffic control centre, said last week it was no longer accepting requests to fly through Libyan airspace after the United Nations Security Council backed a no-fly zone over the North African country.
Western warplanes and missiles began strikes on Saturday.
The airport, on the western tip of Sicily at the foot of the Italian peninsular, doubles as a military base. It is located about 350 miles (560 km) from the westernmost point of Libya.
Ryanair said Trapani would be closed to civilian traffic indefinitely from Monday and that it would divert its flights to Palermo. It said 28 flights would be affected on Monday.
The move marked the first reported direct impact from the Libyan conflict on airline operations outside the country.
Eurocontrol, the European air traffic control centre, said last week it was no longer accepting requests to fly through Libyan airspace after the United Nations Security Council backed a no-fly zone over the North African country.
Western warplanes and missiles began strikes on Saturday.
