Fifty-five Maltese citizens arrived home last night after taking up an offer to travel out of Libya on what in all probability were the last two flights organised by the government.

About 40 Maltese nationals opted to remain in the war-torn North African country despite the government’s warning to leave immediately. These include Bishop Silvestre Magro.

Addressing a media briefing, principal permanent secretary Mario Cutajar, who heads the crisis centre, said a Medavia flight left from Mitiga air base outside Tripoli with 41 people on board. The rest of the 70-seater plane was taken up by EU nationals.

The second flight, on a smaller plane with a maximum capacity of 30 passengers, carried 14 Maltese nationals. This left Labraq, in eastern Libya. Two Maltese missed the flight after they were caught up in roadblocks and alternative arrangements are being made for them.

The government’s advisory did not amount to an “evacuation” because Malta’s diplomatic mission in Tripoli will continue operating. The consulate will be suspending work and the staff will return to Malta although the ambassador will stay there operating jointly with the Italian Embassy.

Malta and Italy are the only European countries to have a diplomatic presence in the Libyan capital. Mr Cutajar said all Maltese nationals had been contacted, via telephone, mobile, e-mail and even Skype and were told, in very clear terms, that this was the last chance they had on a government-organised service.

The government, however, remained committed to continue helping those Maltese people who opted to leave by informing them of ferries or flights leaving Libya, he said.

Praising the people manning the crisis centre around the clock, some of whom had “cancelled their holidays and trips abroad”, Mr Cutajar said the centre would be “scaled down” since the bulk of the Maltese there were now back home but it would remain operational.

Meanwhile, the British navy ship HMS Enterprise returned to Malta yesterday morning with another 93 evacuees from Libya.