Libya offers direct investment in Tunis airport infrastructure

TUNIS – Libya is ready to explore direct investment with Tunisia in airport infrastructure, including the long-term modernisation of Tunis-Carthage International Airport or the construction of a new airport at another site in the capital, the head of Libya’s National Development Agency, Mahmoud al-Furjani, said.

The proposal broadens the scope of potential Libyan investment in Tunisia’s transport infrastructure and comes as the two countries seek to strengthen economic ties and expand cooperation in sectors capable of supporting trade, tourism and cross-border movement.

Furjani made the comments at the Libyan-French Economic Summit on Investment and Development, held in Sirte on Sept. 10 and 11, where he highlighted the agency’s experience in airport rehabilitation and development and its ambitions to expand infrastructure and air transport cooperation across the region.

He said the agency was prepared to examine opportunities either to invest over the long term in the modernisation and development of the existing Tunis-Carthage airport or to participate in the construction of a new airport at another location in Tunis, in coordination with the relevant authorities.

The proposal reflects the importance Libya attaches to Tunisia as a strategic neighbour, as well as the scale of movement between the two countries.

Furjani highlighted the large number of Libyan visitors travelling to Tunisia, saying the number exceeds 3 million a year across different forms of tourism, including medical, leisure and transit travel.

The volume of movement has made transport infrastructure an important component of the economic relationship between the two countries, while an expansion or modernisation of airport capacity could support wider flows of passengers, businesses and investment.

Furjani said the National Development Agency had the technical expertise and financial capacity required for such projects, supported by international partnerships and equipment using European technology.

The agency has cited its work on Libyan airports as evidence of its ability to undertake large-scale aviation infrastructure projects. It has completed the rehabilitation of Sirte Gulf Airport and restored international operations there, while development work is continuing at Sebha Airport and a project for a new Benghazi International Airport is under way.

Those projects form part of Libya’s broader effort to modernise its civil aviation infrastructure, but the Tunisian proposal would give the agency a potential role outside Libya for the first time on a project of strategic importance to a neighbouring country.

The option of investing in the existing Tunis-Carthage facility would involve a different set of considerations from building a new airport at another location.

Tunis-Carthage is the principal airport serving the capital and a major gateway for international passenger traffic. Modernising it could allow Tunisia to upgrade existing infrastructure while maintaining the airport’s established connection to the capital’s transport and commercial networks.

A new airport, by contrast, would involve a larger long-term infrastructure project requiring decisions over land, financing, design, connectivity, operations and the distribution of responsibilities between the Tunisian authorities and any foreign investment partner.

Furjani’s comments did not establish which option would be preferred or indicate a financial value for the proposed Libyan investment. No agreement or final investment structure has been announced.

Any Libyan participation would therefore require negotiations with the relevant Tunisian authorities over financing, ownership, management, technical standards and the duration and terms of the partnership.

The proposal comes as Libya seeks to use its development institutions and financial resources to support infrastructure projects while expanding economic partnerships with neighbouring countries.

For Tunisia, potential Libyan participation could provide an additional source of financing for strategic transport infrastructure at a time when the modernisation of airports is closely linked to tourism, business travel, logistics and broader economic activity.

For Libya, the investment could deepen economic integration with a country that is already closely connected to its economy through trade, tourism, healthcare and cross-border movement.

Furjani said the agency’s international partnerships, technical expertise and access to equipment based on European technology could support economic stability and regional development while creating direct benefits for both countries.

The proposal also points towards a broader potential role for air transport within Libyan-Tunisian economic cooperation. Airport infrastructure is closely linked to road networks, ports, logistics and commercial services, meaning a major aviation project could create opportunities for cooperation across other parts of the transport and infrastructure sectors.

The immediate question, however, remains whether the proposal can move from an expression of readiness to a defined investment project, with the two sides still needing to determine the preferred airport option, financing model, investment share and implementation arrangements.