Caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, on Tuesday conferred with Mohamad El-Hout, Chairman of Middle East Airlines (MEA), to review the company’s current operations and challenges.
Following the meeting, El-Hout stated, “I had the honor of visiting Prime Minister Mikati and briefing him on the status of the company, its flight schedules, and the stance of foreign airlines towards Lebanon. It is important to clarify that we’ve delayed five or six flights arriving after midnight or early dawn to the next morning. This is due to technical reasons related to distributing insurance risks between Lebanon and abroad. We do not want to have a large number of planes at the airport during a specific morning hour in case, God forbid, something happens. Although unlikely, this precaution is necessary to ensure the company can continue its operations seamlessly.”
El-Hout further elaborated on the status of foreign airlines. ‘Regarding foreign companies that have canceled their flights, such as Lufthansa Group, they had
similarly canceled flights in October and November last year without incident. Today, some companies have canceled flights as a precaution, like the Jordanian airline which canceled flights for two days, and the Turkish airline which canceled its night flight but resumed in the morning. This indicates that they continue to operate their routes.”
Furthermore, El-Hout emphasized the continued operations of Arab airlines, stating, “All Arab airlines are maintaining their flights to Beirut. For instance, Emirates and Qatar Airways have normal daytime operations. Therefore, if we look at airport activity, all airlines are continuing their movements towards Beirut. As for MEA’s flight schedule, it remains largely unaffected, with most flights operating as planned. Out of thirty-six flights, only about five to six experience delays at night, while the rest adhere to their scheduled times.”
Addressing concerns, El-Hout denied any threats to Rafic Hariri International Airport. ‘On the contrary, we have not received
any threats or information suggesting an attack on the airport. If we had any concerns about such an event, we would not leave half of our fleet at the airport but would relocate them,’ El-Hout explained.
The MEA Chairman concluded by expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Mikati.
‘I thank Prime Minister Mikati for his unwavering efforts in serving Lebanon and his dedication to all institutions, including Middle East Airlines. His ongoing communication with me has ensured that global insurance companies continue to cover our risks during these challenging times, unlike last November when coverage was canceled. We owe this to the Prime Minister’s persistent support, and we extend our gratitude for his continuous efforts in backing the company,’ El-Hout concluded.
Source: National News Agency – Lebanon
