31.   Egypt meanwhile insisted that no Libyan planes had crossed Egyptian airspace on Wednesday.

32.   Egypt said Tuesday it was preparing to allow Libyan planes to cross its airspace for the Moslem pilgrimage to Mecca despite a UN air traffic embargo on Tripoli.

33.   The request letter said the deportation flights could take place using either Libyan planes, or planes provided by the United Nations.

34.   The Saudi government defended itself on Friday after allowing a Libyan plane taking pilgrims to Mecca to land in violation of a UN embargo.

35.   The two Libyan planes, which took off from Tripoli and Benghazi, landed at the Mediterranean port of Tobruk, a Libyan diplomat in Cairo said.

36.   Libyan planes had taken off with pilgrims for Mecca on Wednesday several hours before the UN exemption came through.

37.   Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi violated the sanctions by sending a Libyan plane to Saudi Arabia the day before Egypt set up the airbridge.

38.   Libyan planes took off with pilgrims for Mecca before the UN exemption but landed at Tobruk before one of them flew on to Jeddah.

39.   Libyan planes took off with pilgrims for Mecca on Wednesday several hours before the UN exemption came through.

40.   Neither has Egypt publicly confirmed that the Libyan plane crossed its airspace without it making any attempt to intercept it.