The Lebanese Prime Minister has recently announced that an agreement has been made between the government and the engineering consultancy firm Dar Al-Handassah – Shair (DAR) to conduct a study for the reactivation of the Kleyat airport. It was agreed that the study would be pro-bono.  According to the Lebanese Prime Minister, within three months DAR is set to deliver an initial master plan to guide the operational launch of the facility, currently an air force base used by the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF). Partnerships between the public and private sectors are seen as crucial to enter into many investments, especially in the North, and particularly at the airport.  According to the Lebanese Minister of Public Works and Transport, a delegation from DAR has recently visited the airport and already provided a preliminary vision for its development. These efforts come as Kleyat airport offers real potential to attract investors. Within the government’s plan of action are two objective: re-activating the airport and boosting regional development.  The current DAR vision is to position the airport as a cargo hub, leveraging its proximity to the Port of Tripoli.  Plans may also include the creation of a free economic zone and the potential establishment of aircraft maintenance facilities.  It is worth noting that the airbase has been used for civilian use for an interim period during the civil war for internal flights when the road between Beirut and the North was unsafe. Politicians from the North have long advocated rehabilitating the airport and readying it for passengers and cargo. Several former governments had promised to activate that project. The current government had also pledged to activate the airport in its ministerial statement. It was a condition by some members of Parliament for granting their vote of confidence to the current Cabinet. (ICE BEIRUT)

Fonte notizia: Bank Audi, Lebanon Weekly Monitor, 24 - 30 March 2025