
The arrivals terminal of AIB, in June 2025. (Credit: Philippe Hage Boutros/L'Orient Today.)
Interior Minister, Ahmad Hajjar, and Public Works and Transport Minister, Fayez Rasamny, discussed on Friday the coordination between their ministries specifically in terms of streamlining the movement of passengers at the Beirut International Airport (BIA), according to the state-run National News Agency (NNA).
During the meeting, the two ministers examined "issues of common interest, particularly the measures taken at the BIA and ways to improve logistical and security preparedness there, especially with the start of the tourist season." While the tourism sector was looking forward to a promising summer, after several years of crisis, their hopes could be dashed by the ongoing war for the past week between Iran and Israel, which has led many airlines to suspend their flights from and to Lebanon.
Rasamny and Hajjar, however, discussed the need to enhance coordination between the security agencies present at the airport, under the Ministry of Interior, and the various administrative hubs linked to the Ministry of Transport, to "ensure a smooth flow" of travelers at the BIA and to "guarantee comfort and safety."
The BIA is initially designed to accommodate 6 million passengers per year. Until mid-June, the resumption of passenger traffic this year had been favored by the cease-fire between Hezbollah and Israel in November 2024. Minister Rasamny has given special attention to the administration of the BIA since his appointment, with a new Director of Civil Aviation appointed there, and several projects launched such as the installation of security gates.