Beirut International Airport

Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport is the main airport of Lebanon (IATA code: BEY, ICAO code: OLBA). The entrance to the terminal is located less than 9km from downtown Beirut (Statue of Martyrs).

 History

It was on April 23, 1954 that Beirut airport was inaugurated to replace Bir Hassan airfield too close to the city center and too small to consider the development of aeronautical activities in the Lebanese capital. At his inauguration he then had two tracks of about 3200 meters.

This new airport had to allow the emergence of several Lebanese airlines which were among the first to be created in the Middle East. This was the case of Middle East Airlines - Air Liban (MEA).

At the end of the war, in 1994, major works were undertaken to rebuild, expand and modernize the airport.This project included the construction of a new terminal and two new tracks.

The first phase of this work ends in 1998 with a brand new terminal. The West Wing is inaugurated 4 years later in 2002. A new track of 3800 meters is then built by encroaching on the sea to offer the airport the opportunity to welcome the most recent large aircraft such as the Airbus A380. In 2005, the General Aviation Terminal is inaugurated and makes Beirut airport one of the most modern in the region. It was the same year that the airport was renamed Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport, a few weeks after the assassination of the former prime minister.

 Infrastructures

The terminal consists of two wings (East Wing and West Wing) connected by the main terminal, forming a U-shaped building, each wing being parallel to the other and the main terminal connecting the wings. The terminal consists of 23 gates, 19 of which have gates, two of which are double for large aircraft.

The main terminal

It is home to one of the largest shopping areas in the Middle East and many services available to users. It has 4 levels:

• Level 0: this is the Arrivals Hall. It has a large Duty Free area accessible to passengers on arrival. Several restaurants and shops are located on this level, in public areas or in restricted areas.
• Level 1: This is the Departures, Checks and Controls (Immigration, Police and Customs ) Hall. This level also has the largest Duty free area of the airport.
• Level 2: it houses the 5 VIP lounges, the prayer rooms and a panoramic restaurant.
• Level 3 is the administrative space reserved for staff.

Wings East and West

The wings constitute the boarding areas. The East Wing, opened in 1998, houses boarding gates 1 to 12. The West wing, opened in 2002, houses gates 13 to 23. Each wing has shops and a restaurant area.

 Statistics

The current infrastructure has been planned to welcome up to 16 million passengers per year, which is the target for 2035. Airport use is increasing every year (8.8 million passengers in 2018, 8.2 in 2017 , 7.5 in 2016). Paris and London are the busiest destinations from or to Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport with 548,702 and 279,410 passengers in 2018.

The reception of departing and arriving travelers makes of Beirut International one of the nicest airports in Middle-East. Accessible sanitary facilities, shops, parkings, bars and air-conditioned halls allow passengers to wait for their flight in the best conditions. With a flight punctuality greater than 90%, the Beirut international airport will guarantee a seamless aerial experience !

In order to facilitate your trip, we advise passengers to take all necessary measures to be in compliance with sanitary, custom and administrative requirements (passport, visa, etc..).

Check the flight display board for arrivals and departures at the Beirut airport. Stay informed of delays and cancellations bookmarking this page :

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Weekly timetable of flights from and to Beirut airport

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