A Middle East Airlines plane. (Credit: AFP/archives)
After significantly reducing its flights to and from Beirut International Airport (AIB) due to the Hamas-Israel conflict, Middle East Airlines (MEA) announced on Monday additional flights to Jeddah and Riyadh.
From November 9 to December 5, MEA will operate one Beirut-Riyadh outbound flight (ME424; 8.25-11.40 a.m.) and one Riyadh-Beirut return flight (MEA425; 12.40-2.15 p.m.) every Thursday and Saturday. A Beirut-Djeddah round trip (ME364; 8.55 a.m.-12.25 p.m.) and a Jeddah-Beirut return (ME365; 1.25 pm-2.55 p.m.) are also scheduled every Wednesday and Saturday between November 11 and December 5.
Following the outbreak of war between Hamas and Israel on October 7, which spilled over to the border of southern Lebanon with clashes between Hezbollah and the Hebrew state, the national airline reduced its flight schedule and parked part of its fleet in Turkey.
President of the Association of Travel and Tourism Agencies in Lebanon Jean Abboud told L'Orient-Le Jour that "flights are full to certain destinations, mainly because airlines, including MEA, have reduced their offer since the start of the [Hamas-Israel] war, canceling many flights."
"In terms of demand, departures are down by 20 percent, and arrivals by 30-35 percent compared with the usual level of activity at this time of year," he added.
The new schedule published on Monday by MEA comes after a speech on Friday by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who seemed intent on avoiding an escalation of the conflict for the time being. A source at MEA, who wished to remain anonymous as he is not authorized to speak to the press, told L'Orient-Le Jour that the company had given itself until December 7 to decide what to do next.