Sabena 1923 as the national carrier of Belgium. The airline was created by the Belgian government after its predecessor SNETA ("Syndicat national pour l'étude des transports aériens", National Syndicate for the Study of Aerial Transports) - formed in 1919 to pioneer commercial aviation in Belgium - ceased operations. Sabena operated its first commercial flight from Brussels to London (UK) on 1 July 1923, via Ostend. Services to Rotterdam (Netherlands) and Strasbourg (France) were launched on 1 April 1924. The Strasbourg service was extended to Basle (Switzerland) on 10 June 1924. Amsterdam (Netherlands) was added on 1 September 1924, and Hamburg (Germany)
Libyan Airlines over the country, imposed in 1983, was still in force, and Libyan Arab Airlines sought alternative manufacturers to acquire new aircraft for re-fleeting. In the meantinme, an Airbus A310 leased from Air Djibouti enabled Libyan Arab Airlines to expand services to the Middle East and North Africa, and Airbus A320s were on wet-lease from TransAer. Amman became the first non-domestic destination to be served again. Fleet and route network grew further when regional carrier Air Jamahiriya was merged into Libyan Arab Airlines in 2001. In 2006, the airline was renamed "Libyan Airlines". The airline pursues an expansion policy, which is