This article is about the flag carrier of Lebanon, in which the ICAO code is MEA. For other uses, seeMEA (disambiguation).
This articleis missing information about MEA's finances. Please expand the article to include this information. Further details may exist on thetalk page.(December 2020)
Middle East Airlines – Air Liban S.A.L. طيران الشرق الأوسط ـ الخطوط الجوية اللبنانية
Middle East Airlines – Air Liban S.A.L. (Arabic:طيران الشرق الأوسط ـ الخطوط الجوية اللبنانية,romanized: Ṭayyarān al-Sharq al-Awsaṭ – al-Khuṭūṭ al-jawiyyah al-lubnāniyyah), more commonly known asMiddle East Airlines (MEA) (Arabic:طيران الشرق الأوسط,romanized: Ṭayyarān al-Sharq al-Awsaṭ), is theflag carrier ofLebanon, with its head office inBeirut,[4] nearBeirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport.[5] It operates scheduled international flights toAsia,Europe, theMiddle East, andAfrica from its base at Rafic Hariri International Airport.[6]
Middle East Airlines (MEA) is a member of theSkyTeam airline alliance. MEA expressed its interest in becoming a SkyTeam associate member in early 2006 at a press conference inNew York.[7] On 28 February 2011, the airline signed the partnership agreement with SkyTeam at a ceremony in Beirut, and officially joined the alliance on 28 June 2012, becoming its 17th member and the second member airline in the Middle East.
Middle East Airlines - Air Liban was founded on 31 May 1945 bySaeb Salam and Fawzi EL-Hoss with operational and technical support fromBOAC. Operations started on 1 January 1946 using threede Havilland DH.89A Dragon Rapides on flights betweenBeirut andNicosia, followed by flights toIraq,Egypt, andSyria. TwoDouglas DC-3s were acquired in mid 1946.Pan American World Airways acquired a stake and management contract in September 1949. Pan Am was replaced when BOAC acquired 49% of MEA's shares in 1955. AVickers Viscount was introduced in October 1955 while anAvro York cargo aircraft was leased in June 1957. On 15 December 1960 the first of fourde Havilland Comet 4Cs arrived. After the association with BOAC ended on 16 August 1961, MEA was merged with Air Liban on 7 June 1963, which gaveAir France a 30% holding (since relinquished). The full title was then Middle East Airlines – Air Liban. In 1963, MEA also took overLebanese International Airways.
The current name was adopted in November 1965 when the airline was merged with Air Liban. Although operations were interrupted by the1967 Arab–Israeli war, and by theIsraeli raid on Beirut Airport in 1968, in which the airline lost three Comet 4C's, two Caravelles, a Boeing 707, the Vickers VC10, and the Vickers Viscount,[8] MEA restarted by acquiring aConvair 990A fromAmerican Airlines, which entered service on 24 June 1969.
ABoeing 747-200B entered service in June 1975 on the Beirut–London route, and later on the Beirut–Paris–New York route from April 1983 until mid 1985. MEA had to adjust its operations due to theLebanese Civil War between 1975 and 1991 but continued services despite multiple closures of the base at Beirut International Airport.Airbus A310-300s were acquired in 1993 and 1994, followed by anA321-200 in 1997 and theA330-200 (which replaced the A310s) in 2003. The airline has introduced self-check-in kiosks at Beirut International Airport as of 2010.
On 28 June 2012, Middle East Airlines joined theSkyTeam alliance to become its 17th member and the second in theMiddle East followingSaudia. 5,000 staff are employed across the airline group. Thecentral bank of Lebanon,Banque du Liban, owns a majority share of 99.50%.[10]
On 11 November 2025, during its 80th anniversary conference, MEA's chairman, Mohamad El Hout, revealed the airline's plans to launch a new low-cost subsidiary, "Fly Beirut", to be managed by MEA itself. According to El Hout, the airline will commence operation in 2027 with a fleet of 6 aeroplanes and will be based out ofRene Mouawad Airport in North Lebanon.[11]
This sectionneeds expansion with: orders/deliveries and additional citations. You can help byadding to it.(December 2020)
Middle East Airlines - Air Liban firmed up its order for tenAirbus A320neo family aircraft (fiveA320neo and fiveA321neo) in January 2013.[19] The order for the A320neo was later converted to five more A321neo aircraft. The first A321neo was delivered on 10 July 2020;[20] the third, delivered 9 October 2020, was the 10,000th A320 family aircraft produced.[21] Two more A321neo aircraft are expected to join the airline's fleet in 2024, summing up the whole A321neo fleet size to 11.
In 2011, Middle East Airlines - Air Liban changed its frequent-flyer program to a 4-tier program - Blue Cedar, Silver Cedar, Golden Cedar, and President's Club, respectively, in preparation for joining theSkyTeam airline alliance. Silver Cedar, Golden Cedar, and President's Club members gain numerous benefits such as access to the Cedar Lounge atBeirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport, as well as outstation lounges at all MEA destinations. Golden Cedar and President's Club offer additional benefits, including guaranteed economy seat reservation.[24]
Cedar Miles can be earned and redeemed on all MEA flights and on all flights operated byAir France,KLM, andQatar Airways, as well as codeshare partners on certain routes. Cedar Miles can also be earned during stays at allRotana Hotels and allHertz car rentals worldwide.[25]
MEA owns the following subsidiaries, which are operated independently:
Cedar Executive
Founded in January 2016, Cedar Executive is a private jet service based at Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport which operates business flights acrossEurope and theMiddle East, using two Embraer Legacy 500s. Clients have access to a private lounge and chauffeur service to the flight.
Middle East Airlines Ground Handling (MEAG)
Founded in 1999, MEAG is the main ground handling agent at Beirut International Airport, handling nearly 80% of all traffic. MEAG also operates afixed-base operator calledCedar Jet Center at the General Aviation Terminal.
Middle East Airports Services (MEAS)
Founded in 1998, MEAS is responsible for the operation and maintenance of Beirut International Airport. Services range from cleaning of theterminals tode-rubberising the runways.
Mideast Aircraft Services Company (MASCO)
Founded in 1955, MASCO is the only fully-fledged aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul provider at Beirut International Airport. MASCO is a part 145EASA-approved MRO with full airframe check capabilities on theAirbusA300,A310,A320, andA330 family aircraft. MASCO is also certified to carry outaircraft painting.
In addition, MEA owns 77.5% of theLebanese Beirut Airport Catering Company (LBACC), the only catering provider at Beirut International Airport.
On 24 July 1950, an Air LibanDouglas DC-3 registered as LR-AAN was shot at by an IsraeliSpitfire; the DC-3 landed safely at Beirut Airport, but 3 passengers (of 28 on board) were killed in the attack.[26]
On 6 January 1952, an Air LibanSNCASE Languedoc registered as OD-ABU crashed on take-off fromBeirut Airport, and was consequently destroyed by fire. All nine passengers and crew on board survived. The aircraft was operating a scheduled international passenger flight from Beirut toKuwait Airport,Kuwait.[27]
On 29 September 1958, Middle East AirlinesAvro York registered as OD-ADB disappeared over the Mediterranean Sea with five on board.[28]
On 1 February 1963,Flight 265, aVickers Viscount 754D registered as OD-ADE, was involved in a mid-air collision withTurkish Air ForceC-47CBK28. Both aircraft crashed inAnkara, killing all 14 on board the Viscount, all 3 on board the C-47 and a further 87 people on the ground.[29]
On 17 April 1964,Flight 444 operated bySud Caravelle III registered as OD-AEM struck the sea nearDhahran, Saudi Arabia, killing all 49 on board; the cause of the accident was not determined.[30]
On 21 April 1964, a Middle East Airlines Vickers Viscount 754D registered as OD-ACX was damaged beyond economic repair atEl Arish, Egypt after the taxiway it was taxiing on collapsed.[31]
On 28 December 1968, seven[a] MEA aircraft were destroyed in araid byIsraeli commandos at Beirut International Airport. This attack was in retaliation for aterrorist attack on anEl Al Boeing aircraft in Athens which killed an Israeli mechanic.[32] The attack drew a sharp rebuke from the US, who stated that nothing suggested that the Lebanese authorities had anything to do with the El Al attack.[33]
On 1 January 1976,Flight 438, operated byBoeing 720B registered as OD-AFT, broke up in mid-air after the explosion of a bomb allegedly placed in the forward cargo compartment. All 81 people on board were killed, some of whom were fleeing the ongoingLebanese Civil War.[34] The aircraft crashed nearAl Qaysumah,Saudi Arabia.[35]
On 12 June 1982, in response to the attempted assassination by the Abu Nidal Group of theIsraeli ambassador to Britain, the Israeli army attacked the airport in Beirut, destroying Middle East Airlines Boeing 720-023B OD-AFP. Four days later, four more aircraft (three 720s and one 707) were destroyed in a second attack. On 1 August 1982, a 14-hour non-stop bombing raid on Beirut destroyed Boeing 720-047B OD-AGG.[citation needed]
On 21 August 1985, two MEA Boeing 720s (OD-AFL and OD-AGQ) were destroyed by shelling at Beirut International Airport.[36][37]
On 8 January 1987, aBoeing 707-323C registered as OD-AHB was destroyed by shelling after landing at Beirut International Airport.[38]
On 16 November 2001, anAirbus A321-200 registered as F-OHMP was operating as Flight 304 from Beirut International Airport toCairo International Airport when it sustained damage during a tail strike accident upon landing at Cairo. This airframe would be destroyed by a bomb nearly 14 years later midflight asMetrojet Flight 9268.[39]
^Vickers Viscount OD-ACT; Sud Caravelles OD-AEE and OD-AEF; de Havilland Comets OD-ADQ, OD-ADR and OD-ADS; Boeing 707 OD-AFC; and a Ghana Airways Vickers VC10 (9G-ABP) operating for MEA
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US$ 88,800,000 (2023)[3]
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