Lebanese airline delays some flights to Beirut, including from Doha

Published: 29 July 2024

NT Bureau
Doha

Lebanon’s Middle East Airlines (MEA) announced on Sunday that it is delaying the arrival of several flights scheduled for Sunday night until Monday morning.

The company did not give reasons for this measure, or state whether or not it is a security precaution, but an informed source believes that recent developments in southern Lebanon, and Israeli threats following a deadly strike it has attributed to Hezbollah in Majdal Shams, in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, may be linked to MEA’s decision.

The flights affected by this postponement are those from London (delayed from 10 p.m. to 8.30 a.m.), Copenhagen (delayed from 10.30 p.m. to 8.45 a.m.), Doha (delayed from 2.50 a.m. to 6 a.m.), Dammam (delayed from 8.55 p.m. to 7.5 a.m.), Dubai (delayed from 2.15 a.m. to 6.10 a.m.) and Jeddah (delayed from 9.15 p.m. to 6.35 a.m.).

Later Sunday the evening, MEA published a new press release in which the airline stated that further flights to and from Beirut would be modified on July 29. The press release cites “technical reasons relating to the distribution of insurance risks for aircraft between Lebanon and abroad.”