UN aviation agency finds Beirut airport lacks valid certification, complicating US flights

Right · 2The UN's International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has found that Lebanon's main airport lacks valid certification, according to a report summary seen by Reuters, a setback to US President Donald Trump's move to revive direct US-Beirut flights. 1 2 Right · 1Trump announced the plan in July and signed an order last month allowing direct flights from the US to Lebanon, reversing a suspension of about four decades that followed the 1985 hijacking of TWA Flight 847 to Beirut. 1 Right · 1The Federal Aviation Administration and the Transportation Security Administration would still need to conduct safety reviews before flights could resume. The Lebanese embassy in Washington called the order "a significant first step toward restoring direct air service between Lebanon and the United States." 2

Right · 2An ICAO technical assistance mission to Lebanon in July identified shortcomings at Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport and in the wider aviation system, and the agency sent its internal report, made at the request of the Lebanese Civil Aviation Authority (LCAA), to Lebanon in September. 1 2 Right · 2According to the summary, the airport's firefighting resources suit single-aisle planes but not the twin-aisle jetliners used on long-haul routes, it lacks an emergency plan, and its conditional certification has expired. The summary called this "a serious and time-critical matter that must be addressed immediately to preserve the airport's operational status." 2 1 Right · 2The report also found that the LCAA lacks qualified inspectors to oversee air traffic control licensing and has no fully established, operational and independent aircraft accident investigation authority. Reuters said such concerns were also raised at a two-day workshop last month attended by officials from ICAO, the Lebanese government and the FAA. 1 2

Right · 2Two senior industry officials familiar with the matter expect the findings to delay resumption of service. Three US airline officials, speaking anonymously, told Reuters they do not think any American carriers would resume Lebanon flights in the near term, citing security concerns. 2 1 Right · 2Lebanon's Minister of Public Works and Transport, Fayez Rasamny, said most of the issues had already been identified by the LCAA and corrective action begun, with progress delayed by war. He said efforts to certify the airport would start on Saturday, and the LCAA expects to issue conditional certification in the coming days. 1 2 Right · 2The FAA and ICAO declined to comment. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency said it was aware of the report and that EU airlines must make their own assessment of an airport's safety and operational readiness before launching services. 2 1

Right · 2The order followed Trump's meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, whom Washington has backed as it pushes for Iran-backed Hezbollah to be disarmed. Israeli forces remain in southern Lebanon and have continued strikes despite a US-brokered framework agreement signed in June, which Hezbollah, not a party to it, has rejected. 2 1 Right · 2The US State Department advises Americans not to travel to Lebanon, and says the FAA advises caution in Lebanese airspace because of military activity around Syria. Foreign airlines have avoided large parts of Middle East airspace since US and Israeli strikes on Iran in February triggered regional hostilities. There are currently no direct Beirut-US flights, though service exists between Lebanon and some large European cities. 2 1