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The diminishing political power of Hezbollah in the wake of the war with Israel has become evident in Lebanon and has enabled the government to revisit a long-standing idea: building a new international airport away from the Shiite stronghold in Beirut and beyond the control the Iran-backed terror group held over the existing one.
Beirut's Rafic al-Hariri International Airport, the country’s only gateway to the world, is under strain and vulnerable to disruption from even minor security incidents—such as Hezbollah supporters blocking access roads nearby.
Now, the new government is considering repurposing a military airfield in northern Lebanon that, in the distant past, accommodated commercial flights. Hezbollah, once a staunch opponent of the plan, is now too weak politically to block it.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said during a visit to Kleiate Airport last month that it would resume commercial operations within a year. He announced an agreement to study the feasibility of the move and said a preliminary operational plan would be submitted within three months. However, Transportation Minister Fayez Rasamny noted that no specific date has been set.
Not all Lebanese politicians agree on the need for a second airport. Some argue it would help develop northern Lebanon's economy, while others dismiss it as a boondoggle, driven more by political motives than practical necessity.
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During the war between Hezbollah and Israel, the option of using Kleiate Airport was raised multiple times. Calls to activate the site grew louder after a June 2023 report in The Telegraph alleged Hezbollah was storing Iranian weapons, missiles and explosives at the Beirut airport. Following the report, Tourism Minister Walid Nassar urged the government to consider reopening Kleiate. In August, Sky News Arabia reported growing public demand to develop the site to avoid Lebanon’s isolation in the event of renewed war.
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A plane on the runway at Beirut airport as Israeli strikes target Hezbollah positions in the nearby Dahieh stronghold
Kleiate Airport is located just six kilometers (under four miles) from the Syrian border. It was reportedly targeted by Israel in 2006 but has since been repaired by the Lebanese army.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese government is also working to rehabilitate the image of Rafic al-Hariri International Airport, which has long been associated with Hezbollah’s influence. According to a report last week in the Saudi daily Asharq Al-Awsat, airport security revoked work permits for numerous employees linked to Hezbollah after the dismissal of the head of the civil aviation authority—an appointee alleged to be corrupt and backed by Hezbollah. Transportation Minister Rasamny also confirmed that the ban on Iranian flights landing at the airport remains in effect.