Beirut flights plan hits turbulence

The United Nations aviation agency has found Lebanon's main airport lacks valid certification, according to a report summary seen by Reuters, in a setback to US President Donald Trump's move to revive direct US-Beirut flights.

Trump made the announcement in July and signed an order last month for the US government to allow direct flights from the US to Lebanon, reversing a four-decade-long suspension after TWA Flight 847 was hijacked and forced to land in Beirut in 1985.

While the US Federal Aviation Administration and the Transportation Security Administration would still need to conduct safety reviews before flights could resume, the Lebanese embassy in Washington called Trump's order "a significant first step toward restoring direct air service between Lebanon and the United States."

However, the UN's International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) technical assistance mission to Lebanon in July identified shortcomings at Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport and in the aviation system.

The findings, which two senior industry officials familiar with the matter expect to delay the resumption of service, complicate efforts to follow up on an order Trump signed after meeting Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. Washington has backed Aoun as it pushes for Iran-backed Hezbollah to be disarmed. 

The agency sent its internal report, made at the request of the Lebanese Civil Aviation Authority (LCAA), to Lebanon in September.

AIRPORT LACKS EMERGENCY PLAN: ICAO

Beirut airport's firefighting resources are equipped for single-aisle planes, but not twin-aisle jetliners used for long-haul flights, according to a summary of ICAO's report. The airport also lacks an emergency plan, and its conditional certification has expired, the report said.

"This is a serious and time-critical matter that must be addressed immediately to preserve the airport's operational status," the summary said.

The report also found the Lebanese regulator LCAA lacks qualified inspectors to oversee air traffic control licensing, and has no fully established, operational and independent aircraft accident investigation authority with clearly defined roles.   

Such concerns were flagged during a two-day workshop last month where officials from ICAO, Lebanon's government, the FAA and others discussed efforts to revive direct air service, according to the industry officials and an agenda of the meeting seen by Reuters.

Lebanon's Minister of Public Works and Transport Fayez Rasamny said Lebanon was taking steps to address the concerns, with efforts to certify the airport starting on Saturday. The LCAA expects to issue conditional certification in the coming days.

"Most of the issues highlighted in the report had already been identified by the LCAA, and corrective action had already been initiated," Rasamny said in a statement, adding that progress had been delayed by war. Israeli forces remain in southern Lebanon and have continued strikes despite a US-brokered framework agreement signed in June between Israel and Lebanon. Hezbollah, which was not party to the deal, has rejected it. 

The FAA declined to comment. ICAO said it cannot comment on matters concerning specific countries, but said it conducts targeted analyses for member states.

The US State Department advises Americans not to travel to Lebanon given safety concerns. It said the FAA advises caution for flights operating in Lebanese airspace due to heightened military activity in or around Syria, including the risks of errant long-range surface-to-air missiles originating from Syrian territory.

MIDDLE EAST UNREST DISRUPTS AIR TRAVEL

Foreign airlines have avoided large swathes of Middle East airspace because of missile and drone threats since US and Israeli strikes on Iran in February triggered regional hostilities, with an airport in Saudi Arabia the latest site to come under attack.

Lebanon and its national carrier have been praised domestically for maintaining air navigation services and flights, helping to prop up an economy that depends on tourism and remittances. 

Three US airline officials told Reuters on the condition of anonymity they do not think any American carriers would resume flights to Lebanon in the near term, citing security concerns.

While there are no direct flights between Beirut and the United States, such service exists between Lebanon and some large European cities. 

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency said it was aware of the ICAO report and added that EU airlines must conduct their own assessment of an airport's safety and operational readiness before launching services.