The management of Al-Kufra Airport announced on Friday that the airport will be temporarily closed starting Monday, January 19, for a full month, to carry out comprehensive maintenance works on the runway. In a statement, the management said the measure comes as part of efforts to ensure aviation safety and to enhance the airport’s infrastructure, guaranteeing its readiness to receive flights in line with approved standards. It added that the date for reopening the airport will be announced once the maintenance work is completed, through the official page and approved communication channels, according to the statement. The shutdown comes at a sensitive time, weeks after a Reuters report revealed that Al-Kufra Airport’s runway, which is under the control of Khalifa Haftar’s forces, had become a vital channel for the flow of weapons, fuel, and mercenaries to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces. A UN official familiar with the operations described the use of Al-Kufra Airport as having “changed the rules of the game entirely,” pointing to its role in strengthening the siege of the city of El Fasher over an 18-month period, according to Reuters.

Source: Libya Observer January 17, 2026 19:00 UTC