Lebanon launched the rehabilitation of René Mouawad Airport in Qlayaat on Saturday, advancing a plan to establish a second international gateway while fighting between Israel and Hezbollah continued to place pressure on the country’s transport infrastructure.
Public Works and Transport Minister Fayez Rasamny inaugurated the airport project in the northern governorate of Akkar. The facility, near Lebanon’s border with Syria, has served as a Lebanese army base for decades. Although the ceremony marked the formal launch, construction, regulatory approvals and trial operations remained necessary before regular passenger service could begin. [Source 13356]
Rasamny said the government was moving beyond decades of delays and intended to make the airport operational within weeks. He identified Mersin, Istanbul and Dubai as initial destinations, with possible later services to Saudi Arabia, Cairo and Athens. Lebanese officials were also in contact with low-cost carriers including Ryanair and Pegasus, according to The New Arab. [Source 13356]
The schedule contained several stages. Rehabilitation work was expected to start during the following week and take at least three months. Local media cited in the report said a pilot phase would precede full service, which was planned for November 2026. Ziad Munla, chairman of Lebanese company Sky Lounge, said the passenger terminal could be completed within 90 days once the necessary licences and approvals were secured. The company also released footage of a test flight between Beirut and Qlayaat. [Source 13356]
Munla projected that René Mouawad Airport could handle about 114,000 passengers during its first year, with annual traffic rising above 600,000 by its fourth year. The project is also intended to generate employment in Akkar, described as one of Lebanon’s poorest governorates and an area with high unemployment. [Source 13356]
The move would give Lebanon an alternative to Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut’s southern suburbs. Beirut’s airport remained in operation despite renewed Israel-Hezbollah fighting from March 2 and the earlier conflict in 2024. The site has faced Israeli attacks during previous hostilities, including multiple strikes in the 2006 war. Israel has accused Hezbollah of using the airport to move money and weapons, allegations repeatedly denied by Lebanese authorities. [Source 13356]
René Mouawad Airport takes its name from the Lebanese president assassinated weeks after his election in 1989. Its origins date to an airstrip built by the French army in the 1930s. It handled civilian activity during the 1960s and was itself bombed by Israel during the 2006 conflict. [Source 13356]
The June 6 ceremony therefore represented the beginning of a renewed conversion effort rather than the immediate start of full commercial operations. Whether the announced timetable is met will depend on the completion of rehabilitation, the pilot programme and required regulatory clearances.
