Lebanon is moving forward with plans to establish a second airport in the north, aiming to ensure continued access to the outside world in the event of a security emergency that could disrupt operations at Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport. The Qlayaat project comes amid growing concerns over the vulnerability of Lebanon’s sole international airport in Beirut, which lies within a region exposed to potential conflict. With mounting calls for infrastructure resilience and regional development, officials see the northern airport as a dual-purpose asset: a strategic contingency and an economic catalyst.

With no viable alternative exit routes aside from land crossings through Syria or maritime routes to Cyprus, both of which may be undesirable for many foreign governments during evacuation efforts, the government has identified René Mouawad Airport in Qlayaat, Akkar, as the most suitable backup facility.

The project, long discussed but now gaining traction, is seen not only as a strategic contingency plan but also as a potential economic lifeline for northern Lebanon, with the promise of job creation and a boost to the region’s tourism and commercial sectors.

Hope for tangible progress grew after Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Public Works Minister Fayez Rasamny visited the Qlayaat facility recently, signaling a commitment to push ahead with the airport’s rehabilitation.

“The project is moving full speed ahead,” MP Sajih Attieh, head of the parliamentary Public Works Committee, told Central News Agency. “Stakeholders are currently focused on finalizing the technical studies and the terms of reference.”

According to Attieh, the consultancy firm Dar Al-Handasah is expected to complete its study by no later than July 30. Once the study is finalized, the state will initiate the bidding and procurement process.

“One remaining step is the formation of the General Secretariat of the Higher Council for Privatization,” Attieh explained. “This body will oversee the preparation of the tendering process, and specialized companies will be invited to submit proposals based on the finalized technical dossier.”

By then, he added, the state is expected to have appointed the necessary secretariat to oversee privatization, after which the Cabinet will convene to award contracts to qualified firms under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model, in accordance with the tender documents.

“We hope to see the airport up and running in practical terms by the beginning of next year.”