Beirut Rafic Al Hariri International Airport
October 19, 2007
Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport (formerly Chaldea Airport) (IATA: BEY, ICAO: OLBA) (Arabic: مطار بيروت رفيق الحريري الدولي) located 9 km (5.6 mi) from the city centre in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon and is the only operational commercial airport in the country. It is the hub for Lebanon’s national carrier, Middle East Airlines (more commonly known as MEA). It is also the hub for the currently grounded cargo carrier Trans Mediterranean Airways (more commonly known as TMA Cargo), as well as the new start-up charter airline, MenaJet.
It is the main port of entry into the country along with the Port of Beirut. The airport was selected by the famed “Skytrax Magazine” as the second best airport and aviation hub in the Middle East; it came just behind Dubai International Airport.
The airport is operated and maintained by Middle East Airports Services (MEAS) which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the national carrier, MEA. MEAS conducts all airport operations from cleaning the bathrooms to de-rubberizing the runways. Operations are regulated by the Lebanese Civil Aviation Authority (LCAA), the Lebanese government agency which sets aviation guidelines, safety standards, etc. The LCAA is also responsible for operating the air traffic control (ATC) in the airport as well as regulate Lebanon’s airspace.
The rehabilitation and development of Beirut Airport Cost: $450 million, completion date late 1998
