Latest news with #BeirutAirport
Irish Daily Mirror
30-07-2025
- Irish Daily Mirror
Murdered Pte Sean Rooney's killer not in jail despite being sentenced to death
Murdered Irish soldier Seán Rooney's killer is not in jail and is free as a bird despite being sentenced to death by a Lebanese court Killer Mohammad Ayyad was freed from custody last year on medical grounds and has not been seen since. Ayyad didn't appear in court when he was sentenced to death last Monday. Earlier this week, Sean's local TD in his hometown Dundalk, Ruairí Ó Murchú, who has championed his case on behalf of his heartbroken family fumed: "Where is the man sentenced to death for the killing of Sean Rooney? It is absolutely ridiculous that Ayyad is still at large. First and foremost we need to know where he is. "He was released on bail following his first court appearance because of an apparent medical issue and has not appeared since and is still at large. While I welcome the fact he has been found guilty and sentenced, no one can be impressed with the fact that he was not actually in court." The remains of Private Sean Rooney arrived from Beirut Airport to Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel in December 2022. (Image: Collins Dublin) Private Sean Rooney. (Image: Family Handout/PA Wire) The Lebanese court has not executed a prisoner in over 20 years and both the Irish Government and Deputy Ó Murchú expect the death penalty to be reduced to a lengthy jail sentence. However, a number of other men involved in the gun attack in south Lebanon on the UN peacekeepers patrol which left Private Rooney, 23, dead in December 2022, received light sentences from monetary fines to a number of months in prison for the indiscriminate attack. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week Deputy Ó Murchú said these punishments were "extraordinarily lenient by any terms." He stated: "My first thoughts are with the family of Sean Rooney whose grandparents live in Dundalk. "I will be writing to both the Taoiseach, Micheal Martin and Tanaiste Simon Harris about the case. We urge them to use all avenues open to the State to ensure that Ayyad is captured and serves the sentence he was handed down. "The Rooney family needs to know all the circumstances of how Sean was killed. There are other investigations into the death at UN and Defence Force level that need to provide information to the family as well as provide opportunities to learn from what happened so this can never occur again." A second Irish soldier Trooper Sean Kearney was also seriously injured in the same attack but survived. Ayyad's death sentence is valid for 25 years. For more of the latest breaking news from the Irish Mirror check out our homepage by clicking here.
Cedar News
22-06-2025
- Cedar News
STEP Alert – U.S. Embassy Beirut (June 22, 2025) – Ordered Departure for Family Members and Non-Emergency U.S. Government Personnel
Location: Beirut, Lebanon Event: On June 22, 2025, the U.S. Department of State ordered the departure of family members and non-emergency U.S. government personnel from Lebanon due to the volatile and unpredictable security situation in the region. Due to ongoing regional events, we remind U.S. citizens to continue to exercise caution and encourage them to monitor the news for breaking developments. Over the past several days, the U.S. Embassy notes some airlines have suspended or cancelled flights; however, Lebanese airspace and Beirut Airport are currently open and commercial transportation options to leave Lebanon remain available but limited. Please check for available flight options from Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport.
LBCI
14-06-2025
- Business
- LBCI
MEA suspends all inbound flights to Beirut and cancels morning departures amid uncertainty
Middle East Airlines (MEA) has announced the suspension of all inbound flights to Beirut until further notice. The airline also announced the cancellation of all outbound flights scheduled to depart from Beirut before 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 14, 2025. As for flights scheduled to depart after 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, passengers will be informed as further developments occur.
LBCI
13-06-2025
- LBCI
Flight disruptions hit Beirut airport as regional tensions mount
Amid heightened security concerns in the region, several airlines have canceled their flights to Beirut's airport on Friday. Cancellations include flights operated by Flydubai, Emirates, and EgyptAir.
The National
11-06-2025
- Business
- The National
Lebanon's Middle East Airlines considers setting up low-cost arm amid 'new phase' of growth
Lebanon's Middle East Airlines (MEA) is studying setting up a low-cost carrier aimed at serving destinations in the Middle East and Europe, as the country plans to construct a second terminal in Beirut airport. The budget airline would be a wholly-owned subsidiary of the wider MEA group but fully independent, Mohamad El Hout, MEA chairman, 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,' he said. 'This depends on finding aircraft we can receive, the search is ongoing. 'A lot of airlines now have a low-cost carrier … several destinations require low-cost service, rather than the configuration we have in our fleet now.' The airline has studied the market and sees demand for low-cost flights to destinations in Europe and the Middle East, he said, pointing to Germany, Denmark and Egypt as examples. Lebanon's flag carrier was a standout in the airline industry when it became the only remaining commercial carrier to continue operating out of Beirut airport amid intensified Israeli attacks in the country last year. Entering a 'new phase' However, MEA's chairman said the airline is now turning a corner and embracing a new era of growth. 'We were in one phase, and now we're moving into a new phase,' he said, pointing to the UAE lifting a travel ban on Emirati citizens flying to Lebanon. While Israeli attacks in Lebanon are still ongoing, they are 'targeted and precise' rather than wider military operations. 'They do not impact the significant growth in passenger traffic that we are seeing this month,' Mr El Hout said. The airline is forecasting year-on-year growth of 10 per cent to 15 per cent in the second half of 2025, he added. In terms of its fleet, MEA has an order book of nine aircraft. Six of these are scheduled to be delivered in 2026, two in 2027 and one in 2028. MEA expects to receive four of the extra-long range Airbus A321 XLR aircraft next year. 'The narrowbody aircraft has the capability to fly for nine hours and this will allow us to open new markets, in Africa particularly,' he said. It will also receive two Airbus A330 Neo wide-body aircraft to replace older jets. The airline is also seeking four A320 Neos but the market supply for jets is 'tight' and Airbus' backlog stretches to five years, he said, adding that the plane lessors have some availability. Once these A320 Neo narrowbodies are secured, the airline can proceed with its plans for a low-cost arm, Mr El Hout said. Like the rest of the airline industry, MEA is facing delayed aircraft deliveries amid industry-wide supply chain bottlenecks. Airbus planes that it will receive next year should have been delivered in 2023, Mr El Hout said. 'There are frustrations but my duty is to find solutions,' he said. New terminal at Beirut airport Plans are also under way to construct a second terminal at Rafic Hariri International Airport, MEA's home hub. The master plan, which is being developed by Dar Al Handasah in Beirut, calls for a second terminal with a capacity of five million passengers, he said. The project may be developed through a public-private partnership (PPP). 'The Lebanese government is preparing a book of terms for the project and MEA is very interested in this new terminal, especially as it can be a dedicated terminal for the operations of the airline, its partners and SkyTeam [alliance member airlines],' he said. 'It will be equipped and operated in a very modern way, with state-of-the-art technology for processing passengers without the need for passports, which is what we see in other new airports.' The master plan for the second terminal calls for eight piers or 'fingers' to accommodate narrow-body aircraft and three piers for wide-body aircraft, making a total of 11 piers, he said. The master plan is completed and the next step will include issuing a request for proposals (RFP). The second terminal will provide sufficient capacity to meet Lebanon's air travel requirements for several years ahead. 'We expect that phase one of this project will be enough for the next 10 to 15 years,' Mr El Hout said. 'If there is more stability, and more movements, there is a plan for phase two to accommodate 8 million passengers.' The project is estimated to cost between $400 million and $500 million, the MEA chairman said. 'There is interest, not just from foreign investors, but Lebanese as well,' he said. 'It's a successful project. We've had discussions with several people and we already see the interest.' Last month, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced that the master plan for a second international airport in the country will be unveiled within a month, pledging to open the project to foreign investors. 'The master plan for the new airport, the Rene Mouawad Airport in Qlayaat, will be presented in the coming weeks – in less than a month,' he said in May. Speaking on Tuesday at a conference in downtown Beirut, the prime minister said: 'We are advancing plans to rebrand and launch a second international airport. The second airport could play a strategic role in facilitating cargo movement and affordable travel.' He was speaking at a conference organised by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Ciarb) called 'Rebuilding Lebanon: Investment framework, business opportunities, and dispute resolution'.
