Qlayaat Airport, formally named René Mouawad Airport, is situated in the Akkar region of northern Lebanon, approximately 26 kilometers northeast of Tripoli and 7 kilometers southwest of the Syrian border. Initially established in 1934 by the Iraq Petroleum Company as a landing strip for oil-related operations, it was transferred to the Lebanese Armed Forces in 1966.
The facility was later upgraded with a 3,000-meter runway, capable of accommodating medium-sized commercial aircraft like the Boeing 737 or Airbus A320. Between 1988 and 1990, Middle East Airlines (MEA) operated domestic civilian flights from Qlayaat to Beirut, but the airport reverted to military use after 1990 due to political instability and limited demand.
Covering an area of 420 hectares, it remains one of Lebanon’s largest undeveloped aviation assets, prompting recurring discussions about its potential reactivation for civilian purposes.
Advantages for Lebanon
- Enhanced National Connectivity and Accessibility
Lebanon’s aviation infrastructure is centralized at Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport, located 9 kilometers south of central Beirut in the southern suburbs.
This facility serves as the country’s sole international gateway, requiring residents of northern and eastern regions to travel significant distances 120 kilometers from Akkar, 140 kilometers from Tripoli, and 180 kilometers from Hermel in the Beqaa Valley to access air travel. Qlayaat Airport, positioned 105 kilometers northeast of Beirut, could reduce these distances dramatically, with Hermel only 20 kilometers away and Tripoli 26 kilometers.
For the roughly 1 million residents of northern Lebanon (based on 2023 voter registration data from the Ministry of Interior), this would improve access to domestic and regional flights, easing reliance on Beirut’s overburdened transport network, including the congested Beirut-Tripoli highway, which handles 50,000 vehicles daily according to 2024 traffic studies. - Economic Stimulus for the Akkar Region
Akkar is among Lebanon’s most impoverished governorates, with a poverty rate exceeding 70% in 2023, as reported by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).
Unemployment in the region stands at over 30%, per the Lebanese Central Administration of Statistics, due to limited industrial or infrastructural development. MP Sajih Attieh, representing Akkar, stated in a 2024 parliamentary session that activating Qlayaat Airport could create approximately 5,000 direct and indirect jobs, including roles in construction, airport operations, logistics, and hospitality.
The airport’s proximity to Tripoli’s port, 26 kilometers away, handling 1.2 million tons of cargo annually (2023 Lebanese Customs data), supports proposals for a duty-free economic zone, potentially integrating air and sea transport to boost trade with Jordan (315 km away) and Turkey (450 km).
Local businesses, such as Akkar’s agricultural sector producing 300,000 tons of citrus annually, could gain export opportunities via air freight. - Backup During Disruptions and Crises
Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport has faced repeated closures due to regional conflicts, including a complete shutdown during the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war and partial disruptions in 2024 amid Israeli airstrikes targeting nearby areas. Located in a Hezbollah-controlled zone, it processed only 2.4 million passengers in 2023, a fraction of its 8.7 million peak in 2019, per the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. Qlayaat’s northern location could serve as an alternative entry point for critical imports Lebanon relies on foreign sources for 80% of its food and 95% of its fuel, according to 2023 World Bank figures ensuring supply continuity during emergencies.
The runway’s 3,000-meter length, one of the longest in the region, allows it to handle aircraft like the Airbus A321, used by MEA for regional routes, with a capacity of 200 passengers. - Diversification of Aviation Infrastructure
Beirut’s airport, designed to handle 6 million passengers annually with a single 3,800-meter runway, struggles with capacity constraints and high operational costs, exacerbated by Lebanon’s economic crisis since 2019.
Landing fees at Beirut average $20 per ton of aircraft weight, among the highest in the region, per 2023 International Air Transport Association (IATA) data. Qlayaat could offload some traffic, particularly short-haul flights to Cyprus (240 km), Jordan (315 km), or Turkey (450 km), which accounted for 30% of Beirut’s 2023 departures.
With upgrades, it could also support cargo operations, currently limited to 60,000 tons annually at Beirut (5% of total traffic), diversifying Lebanon’s logistics network and reducing pressure on the capital’s sole facility. - Strategic Positioning for Regional Trade
Qlayaat’s location, 7 kilometers from the Syrian border near the Homs Governorate, aligns it with potential trade and humanitarian corridors. Syria’s Hama Airport, 80 kilometers northeast, is the closest operational facility, handling limited cargo flights as of 2023 (FlightRadar24 data).
If airspace agreements are secured, Qlayaat could facilitate shipments to or from Syria, where Lebanon exports $150 million in goods annually, primarily produce and pharmaceuticals, per 2023 Lebanese Customs records.
This proximity could also aid in delivering humanitarian supplies to Syrian refugees in Lebanon, numbering 1.5 million per UNHCR 2023 estimates, enhancing regional coordination.
Disadvantages for Lebanon
- Substantial Financial Investment Required
The Lebanese Air Force’s 2024 inspection found that Qlayaat’s 3,000-meter runway, last renovated in the 1990s, suffers from surface cracks and erosion, requiring at least $45 million for basic repairs, per Mohammad Chamseddine of InfoPro Research.
A full conversion to international standards including a second runway, terminal construction, and navigation systems could cost $200–250 million, according to a 2023 feasibility study by the Ministry of Public Works and Transport.
Lebanon’s economic crisis, with a public debt of $100 billion (2023 Ministry of Finance data) and a currency devalued by 98% since 2019, leaves little fiscal room for such projects. The government defaulted on $1.2 billion in Eurobonds in 2020, underscoring its inability to fund large-scale infrastructure without external aid. - Persistent Political Obstacles
Hezbollah, controlling the Ministry of Public Works and Transport as of 2025 through allied ministers, has opposed Qlayaat’s reactivation since 2019, citing security threats from its 7-kilometer proximity to Syria, where Islamic State remnants were active as recently as 2023 (per UN Security Council reports).
The group oversees Beirut’s airport, which handles 90% of Lebanon’s air traffic and generates $150 million annually in fees, per 2023 Directorate General of Civil Aviation figures. Conversely, Christian parties like the Lebanese Forces and Kataeb, holding 25 parliamentary seats in 2024, advocate for Qlayaat, viewing it as a counterbalance to Hezbollah’s influence.
This divide has stalled legislative approval, mirroring delays in other infrastructure projects like the Beirut Port reconstruction, unfinished four years after the 2020 explosion. - Technical and Operational Challenges
Qlayaat lacks a dedicated air traffic control tower, relying on Beirut’s tower (105 km away) or Cyprus’s Larnaca facility (240 km) for oversight, per 2023 Lebanese Civil Aviation Authority records. Eastbound takeoffs require crossing Syrian airspace, controlled by Damascus, which operates only 12 weekly international flights as of 2023 (FlightRadar24 data).
Negotiating access with Syria, where Lebanon lacks formal aviation pacts, adds complexity. The runway’s width, at 45 meters, meets basic ICAO standards but may limit larger aircraft like the Boeing 777 without expansion, restricting its scope to regional jets. - Exposure to Geopolitical Risks
Israel targeted Qlayaat Airport during the 2006 war, striking its runway and rendering it inoperable for weeks, per Lebanese Army logs.
At 70 kilometers from Israel’s border closer than Beirut’s 85 kilometers it remains within range of Israeli F-16 jets, which conducted 300 strikes in Lebanon in 2024 (Lebanese Defense Ministry data).
The United States, enforcing sanctions on 15 Syrian entities in 2023 (U.S. Treasury Department), could also pressure Lebanon against activating Qlayaat if it enhances Syria’s regional leverage, given the airport’s border proximity. These factors heighten its vulnerability in a volatile region.
Current Progress as of February, 2025
No definitive opening date for Qlayaat Airport has been set. In January 2025, a Saudi technical delegation inspected the facility, per a Ministry of Defense briefing, amid reports of potential funding tied to Saudi Arabia’s $1 billion pledge for Lebanese reconstruction in 2024.
The Lebanese government’s 2025 ministerial statement, approved in January, lists Qlayaat’s reactivation as a priority, following protests by 2,000 Akkar residents in October 2024 demanding better infrastructure (Al-Akhbar newspaper).
Technical assessments continue, but funding, political consensus, and runway repairs remain unresolved, with completion likely years away based on Lebanon’s average 5-year timeline for similar projects (e.g., Tripoli Port expansion, 2018–2023).