Libya protested on Wednesday decision taken by the U.S. to apply tightened security measures in airports on its citizens, Libyan news agency Jana reported.

Libya’s General People’s Committee for Foreign Liaison and International Cooperation said it summoned on Wednesday the U.S. ambassador in Tripoli Gene A. Cretz to protest against the measure.

On his part, the U.S. ambassador said the decision does not mean that his country has re-listed Libya among terrorism sponsor countries.

“Not all the countries in the list are terrorism-sponsor countries… The U.S. administration believes there were extremist movements in those countries and it is following up them (the movements) because some of their members might enter the U.S.,” he said.

However, Secretary General of the committee Mousa Kousa said “whatever the explanations he heard (from the ambassador) were,” Libya will apply the reciprocity principle.

If any Libyan citizen was exposed to such kind of treatment, whether inside or outside the United States, Tripoli will apply the same treatment to U.S. citizens coming to the country or staying in it, Kousa said.

In response, the U.S. ambassador asked for some time to hold consultations with the U.S. administration over the issue.

The U.S. decision came after Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a 23-year-old Nigerian, attempted to blow up a jetliner as it approached Detroit from Amsterdam but failed on Christmas Day.

Fourteen countries, including Nigeria, Afghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Syria, Yemen, Cuba, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Saudi Arabia and Sudan, were listed by the United States with directives that passengers traveling from these countries to the U.S. by air face extra security screening. Source: (Xinhua)

Continental

United States based Continental Airlines has entered into codeshare agreements with Lufthansa Airlines offering a wider range of destinations worldwide.

Houston based Continental Airlines will offer flights to Asmara on codeshare agreement with Lufthansa via Frankfurt. All Continental flights to and from Frankfurt will operate through its hub at Newark Liberty International Airport connecting to over 25 domestic airports in the United States.

Since last week, Continental flight numbers appear on 50 routes operated by Lufthansa, including the routing Frankfurt- Jeddah- Asmara. On the Continental home page lowest fares available start from approximately US$ 4500 for return flights departing in the next two months to Asmara. Continental operates flights to Frankfurt with a fleet of Boeing 767-400.

During a 16-month transition the airline changed its membership from the Skyteam Alliance to the Star Alliance group. Analysts, believe that this is the first step in a planned joint venture between Air Canada, Lufthansa, United and Continental.

“Since making the strategic decision 16 months ago to join Star Alliance, Continental has been intensely focused on making preparations for this change,” said Continental Chairman and CEO Larry Kellner in October. “For our customers, the change will be seamless and will deliver significantly improved travel opportunities.”

The Yemenia Airbus A310 crash in the Indian Ocean near the Comoros follows an overhaul inspection of safety procedures, which took place at Yemenia Airline.

The inspection was carried out in a bid to avoid being blacklisted by the European Union.

According to Air Transport Intelligence the airline has been scrutinised in the past many times before, after concerns emerged two years ago during ramp inspections of its aircraft in Germany, France and Italy.

The last reported incident of Yemenia took place in August 2001 at Asmara Airport in Eritrea.

It is said that a Boeing 727 of Yemenia airline approached Asmara Airport during favourable weather conditions shortly after it encountered some rainfall.

The wet asphalt of the runway caused the airplane breaks to malfunction during touchdown causing the aircraft to overrun the runway, which made the aircraft slid 200 meters before coming to a rest.

The aircraft was damaged beyond repair, the main landing gear is said to have failed after colliding with a large block of concrete. The 107 passengers and 4 crew on board of the Boeing 727 have escaped the crash with minor injuries.

Meanwhile, the Yemeni authorities have identified the nationalities of 93 passengers who were onboard the jetliner, which crashed in the Indian Ocean early on Tuesday.

It is said that 26 of the identified bodies were Comorian, 54 French, a Palestinian, and a Canadian as well as a crew of 11 including six Yemenis, two Moroccans, an Indonesian, Ethiopian and a Filipino.