The relentless strikes in Beirut's Dahieh district during the recent months of conflict have not deterred the operations of Lebanon's national carrier, Middle East Airlines (MEA), a fact that has astonished both Lebanese citizens and aviation enthusiasts worldwide.
The sight of the airline's planes taking off against the backdrop of smoke billowing from nearby Dahieh sector of the city, a Hezbollah stronghold, inspires immense pride among locals, who watch aircraft navigate the skies amid Israeli attacks.
MEA jet takes off while bombing going on in Beirut
(Video: Reuters)
Headquartered at Rafic Hariri International Airport, the Lebanese airline stands alone, as all foreign carriers have suspended flights to and from Beirut, according to an October report by Saudi network Al-Arabiya. MEA has become the sole link between Lebanon's only airport and the wider world.
According to reports in the New York Times, MEA was once like any other national airline, facing complaints about flight delays, ticket prices, and the quality of onboard meals. However, since the Israeli strikes targeting Hezbollah sites, the airline has been elevated to the status of a national hero. Its aircraft take off and land mere hundreds of yards from where the strikes are carried out, sometimes shortly after they occur. "We are not the military. We are not heroes. We are a commercial airline," a former pilot and spokesperson for the airline told the paper.
In recent months, there have been numerous reports of damage in the airport vicinity and on the road leading to it. On November 7, the Qatari publication Al-Arabi Al-Jadid reported minor damage to Beirut's airport and its runways due to the strikes, noting that some aircraft were relocated from runways near Al-Ouzai in Dahieh, which was under attack that day.
Lebanese Transport Minister Ali Hamieh said the airport was operating normally. For the Lebanese, maintaining and showcasing continuous operations at the airport during wartime is crucial, as the country grapples with a deepening economic crisis exacerbated by the conflict, striving to maintain some connection with the world and sustain tourism.
A passenger who spoke with the French news agency in October recounted flying with the airline on the day Hezbollah's Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah was killed in September. "I was on the bridge leading to the airport when the explosions were heard. It was a terrifying experience," she said, adding that she arrived at the airport in a state of panic.
Her flight to Cyprus departed on time, and from her window, she could see plumes of smoke rising from Dahieh and the surrounding region. In an interview, she expressed her pride in the Lebanese airline. "I am proud to be Lebanese and able to fly with my country's airline during war, knowing they will take care of us. I also knew the plane would return with the crew within hours to the war zone."
Lebanon is no stranger to strife. Beirut's airport has weathered multiple conflicts, as has the national airline, founded in 1945. The New York Times said that MEA survived the regional wars of 1967 and 1973, as well as the 15-year civil war that concluded in 1990. The airline continued to operate in 1982 during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon and during the Second Lebanon War. In fact, it has become a kind of success story, remaining profitable despite Lebanon's collapse.
According to Mazen Al-Samak, head of the Lebanese Private Pilots Association and an aviation safety consultant, a crisis unit was established by the airline and the country's civil aviation authority since the beginning of the Israeli strikes. This unit assesses each flight, and if there is a risk, take-offs are postponed, or pilots approaching Lebanon are instructed to slow down until it is safer to land.
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"These are not conditions under which to fly or operate an airport. You cannot find another airport in the world operating under strikes occurring just 500 yards away," he said.
The persistence of the airline has given Lebanon a sense that it is not completely cut off from the world. "As long as the airport is open, it means we are not completely screwed," Makram Rabah, a historian at the American University of Beirut, said. "There is a Mediterranean element here. People living in the Mediterranean always love to go out, whether it's our ancestors, seafarers, or modern transportation. You cannot disconnect Lebanon from the world."
First published: 12:07, 11.24.24