Bad weather yesterday stopped the two Libyan Mirage fighter jets and their “hero” pilots from taking to the air and returning to Libya, precisely a year after they defied orders to bomb civilians and defected to Malta.

Malta was on the right side of history

Sources said the jets could not be flown back because the pilots’ inactivity meant they could not renew a special licence to be able to fly in bad weather, which made them depend completely on instrumentation.

The arrival of the jets had put Malta in the international limelight just days after the Libyan conflict started and their presence offered the first concrete proof of the Gaddafi regime’s murderous intentions.

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi described it as “a difficult moment” for Malta when, 24 hours later, the government refused landing to a Libyan airplane carrying military personnel on board who wanted to fly the jets back.

Speaking at the jets’ handing-over ceremony and with a hint of emotion in his voice, Dr Gonzi said Malta was on the right side of history when it refused to hand back the jets despite the potentially dangerous situation of having an Air Malta plane still on the apron in Tripoli airport.

Parked on the runway under pelting rain, the two jets, now sporting the post-revolution Libyan flag, were to become a symbol of the Libyan people’s struggle against the regime.

Colonel Ali al-Rabti and Colonel Abdullah al-Salheen, the two pilots who defected, were “heroes” and represented the courage of the Libyans, Dr Gonzi said as he handed over their fighter jet helmets.

He said Malta and Libya shared common values, including respect for human dignity, and the occasion marked the opening of a new chapter between the two countries.

During the ceremony held at the Armed Forces of Malta air wing hangar in Kirkop, the sense of camaraderie between Libyan pilots and Maltese soldiers, who had hosted them, was evident.

In a brief address AFM commander Brigadier Martin Xuereb said the army not only provided the pilots with security but had been prepared to stop any attempt by the Libyan regime to take the fighter jets back. The ceremony was also attended by members of the Libyan community in Malta waving placards in support of the uprising.

ksansone@timesofmalta.com

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