Operating in a war zone, a Lebanese airline tries to keep flying

Lebanon’s national carrier is no stranger to operating in a conflict zone. Back in 2006, an Israeli air strike destroyed the runways of Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport, severely curtailing the carrier’s operations. 

Since October’s attack by Hamas on Israel and the widening conflict that’s followed, Middle East Airlines has seen its business shrink dramatically, and the airline has been forced to move a large portion of its aircraft out of the country to prevent any damage to its most valuable physical assets. 

“It’s a really difficult task to manage, it’s not easy to work when you don’t have clarity,” MEA Chairman Mohamad El-Hout said in an interview in Dubai at this year’s annual general meting of the IATA industry group. “The priority is no longer financial results or growth. Of course there is no growth.”

The Hamas-Israel war has spread into a regional conflict amid clashes between Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group, and the Israeli army along the border. That, in turn, has weighed on travel demand to Beirut, previously a thriving tourism hot spot and the airline’s main hub. These days, MEA passengers are mostly made up of Lebanese expatriates returning home for holidays, El-Hout said.

Many international carriers have suspended operations to Israel and are navigating around the wider region as an extra precaution. Some are beginning to return, including Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd., which announced at the IATA gathering that it will serve Tel Aviv again from Sept. 5.

MEA still has six of its aircraft parked in Jordan, Turkey, and Cyprus, half the number that were previously out of position. As a result of the displacements, the almost 80 year-old carrier has been recalibrating routes to accommodate lower demand and the smaller operating fleet. Passenger numbers are down 20% since October, the chairman said.

MEA operates an all-Airbus SE fleet, including the A321neo and the larger A330 models.

The airline’s biggest concern is a repeat of the Israeli attacks on Lebanon in 2006, in which all three runways at the main airport sustained significant damage, the chairman said. 

“Financials can be fixed, the most important thing is that the airport is not hit and that there are no strikes on our aircraft or infrastructure,” El-Hout said.