Lebanon revives northern airport as officials seek economic lift

Lebanon has moved to revive Rene Mouawad Airport in the northern town of Qlayaat, a project officials hope will ease reliance on Beirut’s airport and bring business to one of the country’s poorest regions. Al Jazeera reported that a June 6 flight carrying Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and other officials marked the airport’s return to the national agenda after years of dormancy.

The airport, about six kilometres from the Syrian border, is being prepared as a second hub for international travel. According to Al Jazeera, officials are looking at routes to Dubai, Istanbul and Mersin in Turkiye.

Mazen Sammak, president of the Private Pilot Association of Lebanon, told Al Jazeera the ceremonial flight was a milestone, but said the harder task is turning the launch into regular operations. He said the airport remains in a rehabilitation phase that could take about three months.

Work remains before passenger service

Rene Mouawad Airport, named for a former Lebanese president, had been expected to receive passengers around midyear, Al Jazeera reported. The plan slowed as Israeli attacks shifted government attention toward the effects of the war.

Al Jazeera reported that Israeli attacks since March 2 have killed 3,826 people in Lebanon and displaced more than 1.2 million. The outlet also reported that a third attempt at a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon was announced earlier this week, after which many Lebanese began returning home.

The economic strain is severe. The World Bank estimated in November 2024, after a year of Israeli attacks, that Lebanon needed about $11bn for reconstruction and recovery. Al Jazeera reported that Lebanon has since suffered at least another $3bn in war-related losses during Israel’s latest intensification since March, with the actual figure likely higher.

Sammak told Al Jazeera that Qlayaat still needs basic facilities before it can handle passengers, including a temporary terminal, baggage areas, security screening and check-in counters. He said the site does not yet have even a bathroom.

Within the first year, Sammak said, the airport could handle about 115,000 passengers, rising to 600,000 by its fourth year. He told Al Jazeera that smaller aircraft and low-cost carriers could begin using the airport in roughly three months if preparations stay on track.

Syria shift adds momentum

Al Jazeera reported that the airport would serve northern Lebanon and could also be useful for nearby Syrian areas, including Homs and the Syrian coast. Experts told the outlet that the December 2024 change of government in Syria helped revive the project, after the former Assad government opposed it amid speculation that Damascus did not want competition for Syrian airports.

Political change in Lebanon also helped move the plan ahead, according to Al Jazeera. Salam came to power in 2025, and the airport project advanced quickly under the new governments in Beirut and Damascus.

The revival has raised concern among some Lebanese that Israel could strike Beirut’s airport if Lebanon gains a second air link, Al Jazeera reported. Beirut’s airport sits near Dahiyeh, the southern suburb area that Israel heavily damaged during attacks on Hezbollah targets in 2024 and 2026.

Israel struck Beirut’s airport during the 2006 war with Hezbollah, though it did not hit the airport in the most recent conflict, according to Al Jazeera. Sammak told the outlet he did not see a link between the Qlayaat project and any Israeli decision-making, saying Israel could target either airport or other economic sites if it chose to do so.

Sammak said the immediate priorities are completing the terminal, securing routes and obtaining safety certifications. He also warned that political parties should not use the project to place loyalists in key jobs, telling Al Jazeera that specialists with independence and relevant experience are needed.

This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.