Christmas 2023 in Lebanon: Family reunions prevail over high ticket prices, fear of war

BEIRUT — When Marc, a 34-year-old expat working in London, bought his plane ticket in February to spend this Christmas back home in Lebanon, he had no inkling of the massive war that would erupt in the region on Oct. 7.

But since then, what began as a surprise Hamas attack on Israel turned into a massive deadly bombardment by Israeli forces on Gaza. The fighting has also spilled over into southern Lebanon, where daily cross-border fire between Hezbollah and Israel has displaced tens of thousands of people from their homes.

And yet, Marc (he asked that L’Orient Today not publish his family name for privacy reasons) did not cancel his trip home, and still plans to travel to Lebanon.

He is among an influx of expats returning to Lebanon for the holiday despite a war that analysts warn could further escalate.

Fear of escalation

Some Christmas returnees say they are still anxious about a possible escalation.

Aida Fayad, an account manager for a tech company in France, is one of them. “I am anxious about the situation … but I am hoping for the best and that at least it remains calm until the holidays end,” she tells L’Orient Today. She adds she’s especially worried about returning on time to her job in France after Christmas.

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The skirmishes on the Lebanese-Israeli border have become more intense and Israel has carried out airstrikes as far as 40 kilometers into southern Lebanon in recent weeks. Moreover, Israel has repeatedly called for pushing Hezbollah forces beyond the Litani River, a demand strongly opposed by Hassan Nasrallah’s party.

What are expats’ plans if a full-scale war breaks out during their visits? After all, the fighting in October already pushed some airlines to cancel flights to Beirut, prompting fears the country’s sole airport could close.

“In case something happens … I will try to take the first flight to leave Lebanon,” Fayad says.

As for Marc, he does not think that the situation will deteriorate to the point of shutting down the airport.

“In the off chance it does, I am sure there will be boats going to Cyprus on a daily basis — that’s what my backup plan would be.” The 2006 war in Lebanon saw thousands of foreign civilians evacuated by ship from Beirut to Cyprus. The US and Canada both said in October they had prepared plans to evacuate civilians by ship should the war escalate in Lebanon.

Ticket prices and fewer planes

Another problem this Christmas: sky-high ticket prices for the flight home. Fayad says she paid $1,300 round-trip for her ticket from Paris just to spend eight days in Lebanon.

Aside from the usual Christmastime price hikes as the holiday nears, steeper prices are likely due to fewer seats available for the trip home.

Middle East Airlines (MEA), Lebanon’s flagship carrier, significantly reduced their flights in the weeks following Oct. 7. As a “preventative measure,” MEA also moved portions of its fleet to foreign airports, including Istanbul.

However, on Dec. 8, the company scheduled 152 additional flights from Dec. 14, 2023 to Jan. 10, 2024 as a result of the high demand during the holiday season, but its flights are still not at their pre-Oct. 7 numbers.

Fadi al-Hassan, manager of Beirut’s international airport, did not answer L’Orient Today’s requests for comment on the number of incoming travelers this season.

Family reunions prevail anyway

Despite worries about money and war, returning expats say they are happy to spend time with their loved ones this December.

“I want to see my family. Time is valuable with them; I should not risk not coming and celebrating the holidays with my family,” Fayad says.

Meanwhile, Marc says that once he lands in Beirut, he’ll also be “seeing friends and family.”

Rouba Mounzer, a 30-year-old content manager living in Dubai, says she is excited to spend time with her parents and siblings in Lebanon.

She was set to return to Lebanon on Friday, amid a cold winter rainstorm.

“I am not interested in going out more than in spending quality time with my parents,” she says ahead of her flight, when asked what she’ll do when she arrives home to a stormy Lebanon.

“When we live abroad, our attachment to our parents increases.”