At 9:02 a.m., a charter flight operated by Ghadames Airlines landed at Augusto C. Sandino Airport in Managua, marking the second arrival from Libya in less than eight days, according to the flight tracking platform Flightaware.
The aircraft, a Boeing 777-200, departed from Benghazi Airport in Libya at 2:22 a.m.
The Nicaraguan International Airports Administration Company (EAAI) concealed the landing of this flight, as it did not report it, unlike all other international flights, in the arrivals for May 23, which are updated in real-time on its website.
The Boeing 777-200 aircraft, according to details provided on the Ghadames Airlines website, is the largest in their fleet, with a capacity of 400 passengers in a three-class configuration.
This aircraft is powered by two General Electric GE90 engines and is considered a “popular choice for long-haul flights due to its comfort and efficiency.”
This flight from Libya to Managua, according to Flightaware’s tracking details, had an approximate duration of 14 hours and 40 minutes.
Second flight in less than eight days
On May 18 LA PRENSA referenced tracking information from Flightaware revealing that another charter flight operated by Ghadames Airlines also landed in Managua from Benghazi, Libya.
The aircraft used for that flight was also a Boeing 777-200, one of the largest and with the highest passenger capacity.
Related article: A new charter flight from Libya lands in Managua amid U.S. threats.
U.S. Warning to Airlines
The flights operated by Ghadames Airlines, which are not reported by Nicaragua’s EAAI, arrive in Nicaraguan territory amidst a context where the United States government has warned of severe sanctions for airlines operating flights destined for Managua with migrants intending to reach U.S. territory irregularly.
On May 15, the Department of Homeland Security issued an alert to airlines, charter flight operators, travel agents, and aviation service providers about how migrant trafficking networks are exploiting these services.
According to the issued alert, the actions of the Nicaraguan regime to ease restrictions for extracontinental passengers — such as removing the visa requirement — are of “grave concern” to the United States. Ortega and his vice president and wife, Rosario Murillo, “have implemented permissive migration policies by design that have created opportunities for migrant trafficking networks to exploit migrants for economic gain and encourage dangerous and irregular travel to the U.S. southwest border.”