Lebanon is reshaping its plans to expand Rafic Hariri International Airport, shifting the immediate focus away from a long-delayed second passenger terminal and toward upgrading the existing facility as authorities seek to prepare for rising passenger traffic and future aviation needs.

According to Annahar, the proposed Terminal 2 is no longer being pursued for implementation at this stage, but remains part of the Public Works and Transport Ministry’s long-term vision for the airport.

For now, authorities are prioritizing the expansion and modernization of the existing terminal, which is expected to add capacity for around 2 million passengers, while updating the airport’s master plan to account for changes in the aviation sector, projected traffic and Lebanon’s longer-term needs.

At the same time, officials are examining another proposal that remains under discussion behind closed doors: using Qleiaat airport in northern Lebanon to handle some passenger traffic, particularly Syrian travelers, in an effort to ease pressure on Beirut airport.

Under the proposal, dedicated buses would transport Syrian passengers directly from the Lebanese border to Qleiaat airport under security supervision.

The need for additional capacity at Beirut airport has been evident for years.

The existing passenger terminal, opened in 1998 with an annual capacity of about 6 million travelers, surpassed that level in 2013. Passenger traffic reached roughly 8.8 million in 2018 before the COVID-19 pandemic caused a sharp decline.

In May 2018, Lebanon's Cabinet approved a master plan for the development and expansion of Rafic Hariri International Airport to address congestion and bottlenecks at the existing terminal.

The original concept called for a completely separate passenger terminal that would handle passenger movements, services, aircraft operations and airline activities independently from the existing building.

A version of the plan presented by the Public Works Ministry in 2023 envisaged a terminal with annual capacity for about 3.5 million passengers.

The project took a more concrete form in March 2023, when the ministry proposed building a new terminal for passengers, charter flights and tourism traffic, known as Terminal 2.

The ministry said the project would be financed as a private investment, meaning the state would not have to shoulder the cost of financing or loans. It was expected to add around 3.5 million passengers to the airport's annual capacity and create more than 500 direct, permanent jobs and about 2,000 indirect jobs.

But the plan soon became caught up in a legal and political dispute over the contracting mechanism.

The Public Works Ministry had signed an agreement with Lebanese Air Transport, or LAT, to finance, build, manage and operate the new terminal through a negotiated contract. The ministry relied on a 1974 law governing airport fees rather than putting the project out to public tender under procedures established by Lebanon's Public Procurement Law.

As criticism mounted, then-Public Works Minister Ali Hamieh withdrew from the agreement, saying it would not proceed and should be treated "as if it did not exist."

The expansion plan was effectively returned to square one.

Ministry sources say the Terminal 2 concept has not been abandoned altogether. Rather, it has been pushed into the longer term as authorities concentrate on projects considered more urgent.

Among those priorities is a "Fast Track" facility that is expected to open soon, alongside a gradual program to renovate and modernize airport facilities, including restrooms.

There is currently no timetable for construction of a second passenger terminal.

The ministry's longer-term strategy nonetheless continues to include the project as part of efforts to expand the airport and meet future demand.

Middle East Airlines, Lebanon's national carrier, also remains part of the debate over the airport's future and how its expansion should be financed.

Its chairman, Mohammad al-Hout, has said the expansion project has been under discussion since 2018 without reaching the implementation stage.

He has previously offered to have the airline finance the project, estimated to cost around $500 million, and has not withdrawn that proposal.

The offer puts the possibility of a public-private partnership back into the spotlight as Lebanon faces tight public finances and limited capacity to fund major infrastructure projects itself.

The airport, meanwhile, requires substantial investment to increase its capacity and modernize its infrastructure.

Separate from the Beirut expansion plans, authorities are also examining whether Qleiaat airport could be used to handle some Syrian passenger traffic between Lebanon and Syria.

The proposal would allow Syrian passengers to travel by dedicated buses directly from the Lebanese border to Qleiaat airport, under security supervision.

Passengers would purchase their airline tickets and complete the necessary procedures on the Syrian side, allowing them to proceed to the airport without undergoing the usual procedures at Lebanese airports.

The initial idea had been to construct a railway or monorail linking the border to Qleiaat. But that proposal was later dropped because of the very high cost of excavation, as well as the need to expropriate land for a project of that scale, Civil Aviation Regulatory Authority President Captain Mohammad Aziz told An-Nahar.

The study subsequently turned toward what officials view as a simpler and less expensive option: dedicated buses transporting passengers directly to Qleiaat airport.

Contacts have already been made with Syria's General Civil Aviation Authority. The proposal is now awaiting a response from the Syrian side before Lebanese authorities can begin coordinating with the relevant ministries and agencies.

Those would include the ministries of Interior, Foreign Affairs, Finance and Public Works, as well as Lebanon's security forces and agencies.

The Qleiaat proposal remains at the discussion stage, while Beirut's airport expansion strategy is being recalibrated around immediate upgrades to existing infrastructure and a longer-term vision that still leaves the door open for a second terminal.