Greece has closed off its airspace for flights to and from Libya until September amid rumors of a looming NATO operation in the country. The first country to close its airspace for aircraft departing from Libya was Italy, followed by Malta. They along with Greece have issued relevant NOTAMs. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday that the Alliance was ready to intervene in the situation in Libya if the country’sUnity government filed a corresponding request. RT reports: A notice to airmen (NOTAM) was issued by the Greek authorities on Wednesday, which bans Libyan flights from entering Flight Information Region Athens starting Thursday, the Greek media reported. Similar restrictions were reportedly imposed by Malta and Italy, although they will last till August. An exception to the rule is made for military aircraft with special authorization, and emergency cases such as evacuations for medical reasons, according to the Kathimerini daily. The newspaper says the decision was made ahead of EU and NATO joint training in the Mediterranean. The Phoenix Express 2016 exercise is scheduled for the summer off the island of Crete. The explanation, however, doesn’t convince some observers, who believe that the alliance is preparing a new full-fledged military [...]