A court battle is going on for the late Col. Muammar Gaddafi’s private jet. Since 2012, after the collapse of the regime, the luxurious Airbus A340-200 has been stationed at the airport of Perpignan, in southern France. Watch a visit of the aircraft via YouTube. The aircraft was sent Perpignan for repairs by Air France which cost €3m which has not been paid for yet.  This aircraft has a checkered past in legal terms.
A Libyan government agency has appealed to the French courts to halt the auction of the aircraft. The Al-Kharafi Group is one of the largest conglomerates in the Middle East is trying to get the aircraft auctioned. In 2006, the company signed a deal with the Gaddafi regime for the construction of a seaside resort overlooking the Mediterranean with a 90 year concession.
Four years later, however, in 2010, the regime unilaterally revoked the concession. The Al-Kharafi Group then appealed on the basis of a clause in the contract, through the Arab League, to a court of arbitration in Cairo, which awarded them €935m, net of interest.
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Start My Test Flight →Armed with this judgment, the Group ‘hijacked’ the plane in June 2015. But the government agency, Libyan Executive Authority for Special Flights (EASF), demanded immediate cancellation of the auction. Al-Kharafi Group is willing auction the Airbus at a starting price of €60m.
The French verdict is expected by November 23. The operation is already turning into an international incident. The government agency claims Libyan ownership. The A340-200 is well fitted out as a luxury VVIP aircraft.
Fabio Gigante
Views: 36
Are you sure it’s a -200? From the photo, the fuselage looks to be -300 length?
https://www.planespotters.net/airframe/Airbus/A340/151/5A-ONE-Libya-Government