Passenger traffic, including arrivals, transits and departures, at Beirut airport reached 5.41 million during the first nine months of 2025, marking a 10.2 percent increase (4.88 million passengers) from the same period in 2024, according to BEY data compiled by Byblos Bank in its weekly bulletin Lebanon This Week. Despite the rise, traffic remains 6.5 percent below the 5.78 million passengers recorded in the first nine months of 2023.  Of the total, 2.77 million travelers arrived in Lebanon, while 2.64 million departed.  September alone saw 681,693 passengers pass through the airport, a 40.4 percent increase from 485,699 in September 2024, with arrivals rising 41.3 percent to 296,894 and departures up 39.7 percent to 384,641.  The September surge underscores a rebound in tourist activity in summer 2025, following the Nov. 27, 2024 cease-fire . Last year’s summer season was subdued due to intensified conflict. Beirut airport reported 2.4 million passengers in the third quarter of 2025, up from 1.9 million in the same period of 2024, a 26.2 percent increase.  Air traffic also climbed. The airport recorded 41,800 takeoffs and landings in the first nine months of 2025, a 5.2 percent rise from 39,748 flights in 2024 during the same period. Middle East Airlines (MEA) accounted for 45.6 percent of operations, or 19,071 flights. In September, the airport handled 5,227 takeoffs and landings, up 32 percent from 3,959 in September 2024.  In the second half of 2024, most airlines suspended operations in Lebanon due to the conflict, leaving MEA as the sole operator for several months. Even after the cease-fire, many carriers resumed flights cautiously amid lingering security concerns. Gradually, air traffic has returned, reflecting renewed confidence in Beirut’s skies. (ICE BEIRUT)

Fonte notizia: L'Orient Today