Beirut Airport Stays Open Amid Israeli Strikes, Airlines Cut Flights
BEIRUT — Lebanon's only international airport remains open despite Israeli strikes on the capital's southern suburbs, with reduced flights and passengers, according to official statements. The airport, located on the Mediterranean coast at the edge of an area that has been a focus of Israeli military action, continues to operate under heightened risk assessments, said Mohammed Aziz, head of Lebanon's civil aviation authority.
Aziz said the airport has stayed open throughout the crisis, relying on information "mainly from the US embassy." He added that authorities received additional guarantees this week that the facility would be spared, after Israel issued an evacuation warning on Thursday for large areas of southern Beirut, including the main road leading to the airport and areas directly adjacent. Israel has not yet carried out that threat, according to reports.
Airport Operations and Reduced Traffic
The airport is seeing less than half the traffic it normally would at this time of year, Aziz, a former pilot, told reporters. Most airlines have suspended trips to Beirut, with flag carrier Middle East Airlines (MEA) maintaining a reduced number of flights, including three daily to Turkey, compared to the usual 11. On Friday, just a few dozen travellers were in the usually packed departures hall, with porters sitting on empty baggage carts and soldiers keeping watch at the terminal entrance.
Despite the reduced activity, a flight by MEA—whose logo is the country's beloved cedar tree—landed on Thursday evening, just hours after the evacuation warning was issued, according to AFP images.
Context of the Conflict
The strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs, a stronghold of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group, began after Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel last month, drawing Lebanon into the broader Middle East war. Israel and Hezbollah also fought a full-blown war in 2024, and even then the airport stayed open and MEA kept flying, as reported.
The evacuation warning came a day after what was described as the deadliest day of the war with Israel, with strikes across the country, including central Beirut and its southern suburbs, killing more than 350 people, according to official reports.
Perspectives and Unverified Claims
Some statements from Aziz—such as the claim that commercial planes fly along different air corridors than Israeli military aircraft, including drones—could not be independently verified. He also asserted that "the Lebanese are working around the clock to guarantee the security of the airport," and that the airport is taking advantage of lower passenger numbers to push forward with renovations that could accommodate up to an extra 1.3 million passengers this year. These claims are attributed to Aziz and have not been corroborated by other sources.
No further details were provided about the renovation plans or the security measures in place.
Current Status
As of the latest reports, the airport remains open, albeit with drastically reduced operations. The situation remains fluid, and further updates are expected as the conflict evolves.