Lebanon national carrier halves flights amid fears of war

Lebanon national carrier halves flights amid fears of war

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s national carrier, Middle East Airlines, said it was cutting more than half of its flights as tensions along the border with Israel prompted more Western countries to warn against travel to the country.

Mohammed El-Hout, chairman of MEA, said only eight of the company’s 22 planes would operate as of next week, with the rest relocated to other airports.

“More than half of the company’s flights will be canceled,” Al-Hout said in a TV interview, adding the decision came after changes to the company’s insurance coverage following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.

“Insurance companies began to worry two or three days after” the attack, he said, explaining war risk coverage was reduced.

El-Hout said “we will release a dynamic flight schedule to ensure the arrival of most passengers to their destination.”

A screengrab from a video posted on X by Middle East Airlines shows Mohammed Al-Hout, chairman of the airlines' Board of Directors, explaining the changes in flights schedules being taken as a result of the ongoing war between Hamas and Israel. (X: @MEAAIRLIBAN)

On Saturday, 10 aircraft will leave Beirut and temporarily move to other countries, including Cyprus, Turkey, and Qatar, El-Hout announced.

“Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport will maintain communication with