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Hamieh announces painting work at Beirut airport, fails to mention stray bullets

Hamieh announces painting work at Beirut airport, fails to mention stray bullets

Photo shows marking lines painted at Beirut International Airport (Credit: Ali Hamieh via Twitter/ @alihamie_lb)

BEIRUT — Caretaker Public Works Minister Ali Hamieh tweeted Friday that painting work has begun to mark lanes on the ground at Beirut International Airport, a requirement to "conform to safety standards that are observed globally."

The announcement comes one day after a stray bullet struck a plane arriving at the airport. 

"Marking works has started for the shipping lines on runways and aircraft yards, so the airport can stay Lebanon's window to the world," Hamieh added.

The minister did not comment on the stray bullet that hit a Middle East Airlines plane Thursday, piercing the fuselage of the aircraft before it landed at the airport.

According to Middle East Airlines director Mohammad al-Hout, the incident resulted in no injuries. He said stray bullets are common, with "seven or eight planes hit per year" while parked on the tarmac of the airport.

In January, Greece's Aegean Airlines suspended flights to Beirut after discovering "damage" caused by a bullet hole in the fuselage of one of its aircraft that landed in Lebanon the day before.

In January 2021, multiple MEA aircrafts were damaged after being hit by stray bullets during New Year's Eve celebrations.


BEIRUT — Caretaker Public Works Minister Ali Hamieh tweeted Friday that painting work has begun to mark lanes on the ground at Beirut International Airport, a requirement to "conform to safety standards that are observed globally."The announcement comes one day after a stray bullet struck a plane arriving at the airport. "Marking works has started for the shipping lines on runways and...