We Might Finally Be Getting A Low-Cost Lebanese Airline – Here's What We Know
Lebanon's national carrier, Middle East Airlines (MEA), is officially looking into launching a low-cost Lebanese airline – and yes, that could finally mean affordable travel to Europe and the Middle East straight from Beirut.
The plan is to create a budget airline under the MEA group, but fully independent.
MEA chairman Mohamad El Hout told The National: 'We are thinking of preparing within the next two years to launch a low-cost airline under MEA, starting with four aircraft.'
But it all depends on finding the planes.
MEA's currently hunting for aircraft in a super competitive market. If they manage to get them, the new airline would focus on popular routes where people are looking for cheaper options.
We all know how expensive it can be to fly out of Beirut. So, hearing that MEA is looking to offer a budget option (just like many other international airlines already do) is kind of a big deal.
Recently, low-budget airline Wizz added a route between Dubai and Beirut.
There are also plans to build a new terminal at the Beirut airport to serve up to 5 million passengers and potentially make room for more affordable airlines.
PM Nawaf Salam recently said that Lebanon's second international airport, the Rene Mouawad Airport in Qlayaat, will be rebranded and launched soon.
The new airport is expected to focus on cargo and low-cost travel.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
L'Orient-Le Jour
an hour ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Donkey race, fruit festivals and saints' days: Lebanese summer traditions you won't want to miss
As the heat settles over Lebanon's hills and valleys, village squares fill with music, laughter and the scent of home-cooked food. Summer here is more than just a season; it's a return to roots. Families gather from cities and abroad, and old traditions come alive once again in festivals tied to land, faith and memory. The traditions support small economies, encourage the Lebanese diaspora to come home and keep long-standing traditions alive. Here's how Lebanese villages are keeping these customs alive: Cherry Picking in Hammana Each June, the mountain village of Hammana (Baabda district) paints itself in red, black and gold as local cherry trees bloom. Known for the fruit, people from all across the country flock to the town's annual Cherry Festival. The event celebrates the harvest with a full day of cherry picking, musical performances and cultural exhibitions alongside stalls overflowing with fresh cherries, jams, desserts, juices and more. Local artisans display handicrafts, while children enjoy activities and families take part in folk dances and live music. Visitors have the opportunity to pick cherries directly from the orchards, with some tours including hiking and discovering the cultural heritage of Hammana. The Donkey Race in Roum In the village of Roum, nestled in Jezzine's green mountains, a peculiar and cherished tradition made its comeback after more than 10 years: The Donkey Race. 'After 10 years of not hosting the race due to internal crises within the municipality, including over three years without a municipal head, we tried to revive it as part of my promises as a candidate,' Johnny Haddad, head of the Municipality of Roum, told L'Orient Today. 'The race is part of Roum Festivals, which traditionally took place every summer." The festival begins on its first day with the agricultural fair, showcasing the village's local products — from clay and grapes to olive oil and olives. The opening also includes plays for children and various activities spread over three days. The event usually brings locals from several southern districts, including Jezzine, Saida, Nabatieh and even from Beirut. Donkeys in colorful ribbons line up for a 220-meter sprint down the village square, accompanied by 12 horsemen and a cheering crowd. The donkeys usually have playful names like Neswanje (womanizer), Shayef Halo (showoff), Mkarkab (clumsy), Jahlen (in love in his old age), and Ghannoujet Bayya (daddy's girl). "After the race, the attendees gathered for a traditional wedding night performance by local artists Charbel Haddad and Jessy Jarjoura," Haddad said. The Fig Festival in Majdal al-Meoush Perched in the Chouf district, the village of Majdal al-Meoush is so famous for its figs that sellers across Lebanon often call their own produce 'Meoush figs' to lure customers. Every summer, the village hosts a fig festival where 'all farmers in the region are invited to share their produce,' Georgina Merhej, an employee at the municipality, told L'Orient Today. 'The figs in Majdal al-Meoush are special and known for their quality.' The event, supported by the municipality, transforms the village into a local market and cultural gathering space. Vendors line the streets and public squares with tables full of homemade fig-based products — from jams and dried figs to cakes, juices, and traditional Chouf dishes made with local ingredients. Local women offer home-cooked meals and desserts, while others sell handmade crafts and mouneh, giving the event a distinctly communal and self-sustaining character. Throughout the day, visitors walk through the market, talk with farmers and taste samples of what the region has to offer. In the evenings, the focus shifts to the village square. Locals bring out instruments and spontaneous music breaks out. Saints' Festivals in the Bekaa Across Lebanon's Christian villages, especially in the Bekaa Valley, summer is marked by religious celebrations that bring together food, prayer and entire communities. These saint festivals often coincide with feast days and revolve around local churches, attracting people from nearby towns as well as Lebanese living abroad who make a point of returning to celebrate. Eid al-Saydeh (Saint Mary Festival) is one of the country's most important annual gatherings. Locals gather around the church to cook and serve hrisseh — a traditional wheat-and-meat dish — free to all attendees. In Rashaya, the festival has a rural and homemade feel. Michel Daoud, a local who regularly attends, described the traditions: 'For Eid al-Saydeh, people bring homemade sweets, cakes, stuffed grape leaves, rice with chicken, tabbouleh, kebabs — all traditional food made at home. They sell it to support the church.' He added, 'Grapes and figs are always offered to guests. It's part of our hospitality.' In Deir al-Ahmar (Baalbeck district), the celebration is a neighborhood affair. 'In front of every house, you'll find food and drinks offered to visitors,' Daoud explained to L'Orient Today. 'It's like one big open street festival in Christian areas.' Further south, in Kfar Meshki (Rashaya district), the Mar Elias Festival on July 21 includes religious processions, children's games, music and food stands selling traditional preserves and church-related items. In Beit Lahya (Rashaya district), the celebration features a traditional rural dinner with saj bread, fresh juices, dabke dancing and prayers. In September, the Elevation of the Cross draws crowds to streets lined with stands offering marshmallows, grilled corn, onions, and cotton candy in front of homes and churches. Beyond their religious significance, these festivals play an important economic role. 'It's a way to support the local economy,' said Daoud. 'A lot of people sell their homemade products, and you see Lebanese from all backgrounds coming together, not only Christians.' He noted that even locals who run shops selling clothes or accessories set up kiosks during the festivals. 'It's a very local, rural way of marketing their businesses.'
LBCI
20 hours ago
- LBCI
MEA advises passengers of travel disruptions due to Air Canada strike on August 16
Due to the strike announced by Air Canada starting Saturday, August 16, 2025, and the cancellation of all its flights to and from Europe on that date, Middle East Airlines announces that it will be unable to accept any passengers departing from Beirut and continuing their travel with Air Canada on Saturday, August 16, 2025. For more information, please contact the MEA Call Center at the following numbers: * Landline: 01-629999 * Hotlines: 1320 and 1330 from any landline or mobile phone, free of charge * Mobile lines: 81-477905 / 906 / 907 / 908 – 76-680444 – 76-680777
L'Orient-Le Jour
2 days ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Aoun: Lebanon is not 'bankrupt,' but a 'stolen' country
President Joseph Aoun said on Thursday at Baabda Palace that "Lebanon is not bankrupt, but stolen," adding that "no country in the world goes bankrupt if it is properly managed. We have had governments that have mismanaged resources." The president was speaking before a delegation from the Lebanese Business Council in Abu Dhabi who had come to meet him at Baabda, on a day when he also presided over a judicial meeting with Justice Minister Adel Nassar and judges Souheil Abboud and Jamal Hajjar, and spoke with Finance Minister Yassine Jaber and the governor of the Central Bank (BDL), Karim Souhaid. Before the business council delegation, Aoun said that "our problem largely lies in corruption, as there has been no accountability. Today, justice is present, the files are open, and there are no bans or red lines. This is how things return to normal and confidence is restored between the state and the people, as well as between Lebanon and foreign countries." Since his election last January, the president has shown a willingness to break the deadlock on the important reform projects the country must launch to rebuild its shattered economy and financial system. 'The Lebanese imprint' Aoun also praised the role of the Lebanese diaspora around the world, which "has been the country's main support over the years." According to him, "the strength and wealth of Lebanon reside here: there is not a single major project, from Brazil to Australia via Africa, without a Lebanese imprint." His comments come at a time when many members of the diaspora no longer have access to their funds and savings, which have been illegally blocked in Lebanese banks since the start of the economic crisis in 2019. The real wealth of Lebanon does not lie in its "natural resources," but in "investment in its talents, skills, and human capital," he added, inviting the business council delegation to put their expertise at the country's service and to invest in it. 'Lebanon needs true justice' Aoun, the former commander of the army, also presided over a judicial meeting attended by Nassar, the president of the Supreme Judicial Council (CSM), Souheil Abboud, the public prosecutor at the Court of Cassation, Jamal Hajjar, as well as the new prosecutors appointed as part of the transfers and appointments. "You bear the responsibility to deliver justice and apply the law to all citizens, without distinction or exception. Never deviate from the truth, whatever the circumstances or pressures," he said. And he added: "The law stands above everyone, and its application must be just and fair for each person, from the highest official to the simplest citizen. Stay close to the people and their concerns, and work to restore citizens' confidence in justice through honest and transparent efforts. Lebanon urgently needs true justice, capable of rebuilding trust in institutions and protecting human dignity." Aoun also met with the finance minister and the governor of the BDL about "the country's financial situation."
