The engine of an MEA plane at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Roissy, seen from the boarding bridge on April 9, 2024. (Credit: OLJ)
Lebanon's national carrier, Middle East Airlines (MEA), announced Wednesday the revised schedules for some of its flights to and from Beirut for the dates from Aug. 18 to 21. These changes come amid heightened regional tensions following the deadly strike on the Druze town of Majdel Shams in the Golan Heights on July 27 and the assassinations of the Hamas leader in Tehran and a senior Hezbollah official in southern Beirut. These incidents have raised concerns about potential retaliation from Iran and Hezbollah against Israel, increasing the risk of broader conflict. Many international airlines have temporarily suspended their flights to the Lebanese capital.
The schedule changes — delays and advances for flights to and from Beirut — are attributed by the airline to "technical reasons related to the distribution of insurance risks for aircraft between Lebanon and other destinations."
Here are the details for the flights from Aug. 18 to 21. Most changes correspond to those already implemented compared to the schedule before the start of the tensions. All times are in the departure city's time zone.
Sunday, Aug. 18:
- ME369 Jeddah-Beirut: Departure at 5:50 a.m. (Aug. 19) instead of 9:15 p.m.
- ME431 Dubai-Beirut: Departure at 5:45 a.m. instead of 2:15 a.m.
- ME427 Dubai-Beirut: Departure at 2:05 p.m. instead of 12:45 p.m.
- ME426 Beirut-Dubai: Departure at 8:40 a.m. instead of 7:30 a.m.
Monday, Aug. 19:
- ME431 Dubai-Beirut: Departure at 5:45 a.m. instead of 2:15 a.m.
- ME435 Doha-Beirut: Departure at 5:05 a.m. instead of 2:50 a.m.
- ME427 Dubai-Beirut: Departure at 2:05 p.m. instead of 12:45 p.m.
- ME204 London-Beirut: Departure at 9:10 a.m. (Aug. 20) instead of 10:00 p.m.
- ME403 Kuwait-Beirut: Departure at 5:55 a.m. (Aug. 20) instead of 9:15 p.m.
- ME426 Beirut-Dubai: Departure at 8:50 a.m. instead of 7:30 a.m.
- ME428 Beirut-Dubai: Departure at 5:55 p.m. instead of 4:25 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 20:
- ME431 Dubai-Beirut: Departure at 5:45 a.m. instead of 2:15 a.m.
- ME435 Doha-Beirut: Departure at 5:05 a.m. instead of 2:50 a.m.
- ME427 Dubai-Beirut: Departure at 2:30 p.m. instead of 12:45 p.m.
- ME303 Cairo-Beirut: Departure at 10:25 a.m. instead of 1:05 p.m.
- ME429 Dubai-Beirut: Departure at 10:40 p.m. instead of 9:40 p.m.
- ME443 Dammam-Beirut: Departure at 5:40 a.m. (Aug. 21) instead of 8:55 p.m.
- ME369 Jeddah-Beirut: Departure at 5:50 a.m. (Aug. 21) instead of 9:15 p.m.
- ME403 Kuwait-Beirut: Departure at 5:55 a.m. (Aug. 21) instead of 9:15 p.m.
- ME426 Beirut-Dubai: Departure at 9:15 a.m. instead of 7:30 a.m.
- ME302 Beirut-Cairo: Departure at 8:05 a.m. instead of 10:45 a.m.
- ME428 Beirut-Dubai: Departure at 5:25 p.m. instead of 4:25 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 21:
- ME431 Dubai-Beirut: Departure at 5:45 a.m. (Aug. 22) instead of 2:15 a.m.
- ME427 Dubai-Beirut: Departure at 2:40 p.m. instead of 12:45 p.m.
- ME369 Jeddah-Beirut: Departure at 5:50 a.m. (Aug. 22) instead of 9:15 p.m.
- ME226 Copenhagen-Beirut: Departure at 5:30 a.m. (Aug. 22) instead of 10:30 p.m.
- ME403 Kuwait-Beirut: Departure at 5:55 a.m. (Aug. 22) instead of 11:15 p.m.
- ME426 Beirut-Dubai: Departure at 9:25 a.m. instead of 7:30 a.m.
- ME225 Beirut-Copenhagen: Departure at 1:05 a.m. (Aug. 22) instead of 6:20 p.m.