Airport Beirut

Beirut Airport was given the official name Rafik Hariri International Airport in honour of the Lebanese Prime Minister who died in an attack in 2005 in the north of Beirut. The airport is located south of the Lebanese capital. It is the only international airport in the country as well as being the hub of the Lebanese airline MEA (Middle East Airlines). Cheap flights from the UK to Beirut are operated by Pegasus airlines, Cyprus Airways and Turkish airlines for example. A flight from London to Beirut will take about 8 hours usually involving one stop-over. BMI British Midland also operate non-stop flights to Beirut from London Heathrow, Edinburgh, Belfast and Aberdeen. Middle East Airlines fly from Beirut to Belfast, Birmingham and London. Beirut airport was established in 1954 during the first Lebanese civil war, but was closed intermittently during the civil war. The airport terminals and runways were modernized in the 70s and 80s. In the second Lebanon war, a rocket attack almost entirely destroyed the runways. Since the ceasefire of mid 2006, Beirut airport has again been in full operation. Now that Beirut city centre has been almost completely restored, the Lebanese capital is a popular shopping destination. The luxury shops and the famous jewel bazaar and Beirut nightlife attracts wealthy visitors from the Gulf States. Tourists can stay at one of the many luxury hotels such as the Golden Plaza Beirut hotel located only a minutes drive from Beirut International Airport directly on the airport road. Besides the Place des Martyrs, Place de l'Etoile and the Corniche promenade, there are many other attractions in Beirut and in Lebanon as a whole.

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