Salam meets National Moderation, which welcomes Qleyaat Airport mention in ministerial statement

A delegation of National Moderation deputies, mostly Sunni ex-Hariri members, expressed appreciation Monday after a meeting with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam for the mention of Qleyaat Airport in the ministerial statement of his government. The mention was demanded by these parliamentarians, mainly from Akkar in North Lebanon, where the airport is located. 

Speaking after the meeting, Walid Baarini, accompanied by his colleagues Sajih Attieh, Ahmad al-Kheir and Ahmad Restom, noted on the eve of a two-day parliamentary session dedicated to the vote of confidence in the Salam government, that it was "natural" to meet with him and discuss the declaration's content. "We have thoroughly examined" the document's content, "to ensure that the government can succeed."

"The Qleyaat Airport issue was one of the most important topics we discussed," added Baarini, who mentioned the formation of a "committee headed by Nawaf Salam to follow up on this issue." He considered that "the mere mention" of this airport in the ministerial statement is "an important signal for the residents" of Akkar, a poor and marginalized region by the Lebanese authorities. He added that the implementation of this project would "guarantee 2,000 jobs" and have a "positive impact on Lebanon and Syria." 

The René Moawad Airport in Qleyaat has repeatedly resurfaced in the spotlight in recent years, during every controversy concerning Rafik Hariri International Airport (RHIA) or after Israeli threats targeting it. It is primarily backed by anti-Hezbollah parties, while RHIA is located in the southern suburbs of Beirut, a stronghold of the Shiite party, and by North Lebanon deputies.

The Qleyaat airfield is mainly used by the Lebanese Army. Discussions to transform it into a domestic and international airport began in 2010, yet this project has never been realized.