Middle East Airlines
Middle East Airlines – Air Liban S.A.L., more commonly known as Middle East Airlines, is the flag carrier of Lebanon, with its head office in Beirut, near Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport. It operates scheduled international flights to Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa from its base at Rafic Hariri International Airport.
Middle East Airlines is a member of the SkyTeam airline alliance. MEA expressed its interest in becoming a SkyTeam associate member in early 2006 at a press conference in New York. On 28 February 2011, the airline signed the partnership agreement with SkyTeam at a ceremony in Beirut, and officially joined the alliance on 28 June 2012, becoming its 17th member and the second member airline in the Middle East.
History
Middle East Airlines - Air Liban was founded on 31 May 1945 by Saeb Salam and Fawzi EL-Hoss with operational and technical support from BOAC. Operations started on 1 January 1946 using three de Havilland DH.89A Dragon Rapides on flights between Beirut and Nicosia, followed by flights to Iraq, Egypt, and Syria. Two Douglas DC-3s were acquired in mid 1946. Pan American World Airways acquired a stake and management contract in September 1949. Pan Am was replaced when BOAC acquired 49% of MEA's shares in 1955. A Vickers Viscount was introduced in October 1955 while an Avro York cargo aircraft was leased in June 1957. On 15 December 1960 the first of four de Havilland Comet 4Cs arrived. After the association with BOAC ended on 16 August 1961, MEA was merged with Air Liban on 7 June 1963, which gave Air France a 30% holding. The full title was then Middle East Airlines – Air Liban. In 1963, MEA also took over Lebanese International Airways.The current name was adopted in November 1965 when the airline was merged with Air Liban. Although operations were interrupted by the 1967 Arab–Israeli war, and by the raid on Lebanon|Israeli raid on Beirut Airport in 1968], in which the airline lost three Comet 4C's, two Caravelles, a Boeing 707, the Vickers VC10, and the Vickers Viscount, MEA restarted by acquiring a Convair 990A from American Airlines, which entered service on 24 June 1969.
A Boeing 747-200B entered service in June 1975 on the Beirut–London route, and later on the Beirut–Paris–New York route from April 1983 until mid 1985. MEA had to adjust its operations due to the Lebanese Civil War between 1975 and 1991 but continued services despite multiple closures of the base at Beirut International Airport. Airbus A310-300s were acquired in 1993 and 1994, followed by an A321-200 in 1997 and the A330-200 in 2003. The airline has introduced self-check-in kiosks at Beirut International Airport as of 2010.
In November 2011, MEA's pilots union staged a 48-hour strike after a captain undergoing cancer treatment was dismissed shortly after going on sick leave.
On 28 June 2012, Middle East Airlines joined the SkyTeam alliance to become its 17th member and the second in the Middle East following Saudia. 5,000 staff are employed across the airline group. The central bank of Lebanon, Banque du Liban, owns a majority share of 99.50%.
On 11 November 2025, during its 80th anniversary conference, MEA's chairman, Mohamad El Hout, revealed the airline's plans to launch a new low-cost subsidiary, "Fly Beirut", to be managed by MEA itself. According to El Hout, the airline will commence operation in 2027 with a fleet of 6 aeroplanes and will be based out of Rene Mouawad Airport in North Lebanon.
Destinations
Middle East Airlines flies to 32 destinations, spanning across the Middle East, Europe, and Africa.Codeshare agreements
MEA has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:- Air Canada
- Air Europa
- Air France
- Etihad Airways
- Gulf Air
- ITA Airways
- Kuwait Airways
- Qatar Airways
- Saudia
- Sky Express
- TAROM
- Turkish Airlines
- Virgin Atlantic
Fleet
Current fleet
, Middle East Airlines operates an all-Airbus main fleet composed of the following aircraft:Historic fleet
- Airbus A300B4
- Airbus A300-600
- Airbus A310-200
- Airbus A310-300
- Airbus A321-200
- Avro York
- Boeing 707-320C
- Boeing 720B
- Boeing 747-100
- Boeing 747-200B
- Convair CV-990A
- de Havilland Comet
- Douglas DC-3
- Douglas DC-4
- Sud Aviation SE 210 Caravelle
- Vickers VC10
- Vickers Viscount
Fleet development
Middle East Airlines - Air Liban firmed up its order for ten A320neo family">Airbus A320neo family">A320neo family aircraft in January 2013. The order for the A320neo was later converted to five more A321neo aircraft. The first A321neo was delivered on 10 July 2020; the third, delivered 9 October 2020, was the 10,000th A320 family aircraft produced. Two more A321neo aircraft are expected to join the airline's fleet in 2024, summing up the whole A321neo fleet size to 11.On 12 December 2018, the then-Prime Minister of Lebanon, Saad Hariri, signed an order with engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce Holdings for four Airbus A330-900s. During the 2019 Paris Air Show, the airline became the then launch customer for the A321XLR: four XLRs were ordered, intended for use on routes to Africa and Asia.
Cedar Executive, MEA's business jet subsidiary, took delivery of its first Embraer Legacy 500 on 5 January 2016.
Frequent-flyer program
In 2011, Middle East Airlines - Air Liban changed its frequent-flyer program to a 4-tier program - Blue Cedar, Silver Cedar, Golden Cedar, and President's Club, respectively, in preparation for joining the SkyTeam airline alliance. Silver Cedar, Golden Cedar, and President's Club members gain numerous benefits such as access to the Cedar Lounge at Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport, as well as outstation lounges at all MEA destinations. Golden Cedar and President's Club offer additional benefits, including guaranteed economy seat reservation.Cedar Miles can be earned and redeemed on all MEA flights and on all flights operated by Air France, KLM, and Qatar Airways, as well as codeshare partners on certain routes. Cedar Miles can also be earned during stays at all Rotana Hotels and all Hertz car rentals worldwide.
Subsidiaries
MEA owns the following subsidiaries, which are operated independently:- Cedar Executive
- Middle East Airlines Ground Handling
- Middle East Airports Services
- Mideast Aircraft Services Company
- Fly Beirut
Accidents and incidents
- On 24 July 1950, an Air Liban Douglas DC-3 registered as LR-AAN was shot at by an Israeli Spitfire; the DC-3 landed safely at Beirut Airport, but 3 passengers were killed in the attack.
- On 6 January 1952, an Air Liban SNCASE Languedoc registered as OD-ABU crashed on take-off from Beirut Airport, and was consequently destroyed by fire. All nine passengers and crew on board survived. The aircraft was operating a scheduled international passenger flight from Beirut to Kuwait Airport, Kuwait.
- On 29 September 1958, Middle East Airlines Avro York registered as OD-ADB disappeared over the Mediterranean Sea with five on board.
- On 1 February 1963, Flight 265, a Vickers Viscount 754D registered as OD-ADE, was involved in a mid-air collision with Turkish Air Force C-47 Skytrain|C-47] CBK28. Both aircraft crashed in Ankara, killing all 14 on board the Viscount, all 3 on board the C-47 and a further 87 people on the ground.
- On 17 April 1964, Flight 444 operated by Sud Caravelle III registered as OD-AEM struck the sea near Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, killing all 49 on board; the cause of the accident was not determined.
- On 21 April 1964, a Middle East Airlines Vickers Viscount 754D registered as OD-ACX was damaged beyond economic repair at El Arish, Egypt after the taxiway it was taxiing on collapsed.
- On 28 December 1968, seven MEA aircraft were destroyed in a raid by Israeli commandos at Beirut International Airport. This attack was in retaliation for a terrorist attack on an El Al Boeing aircraft in Athens which killed an Israeli mechanic. The attack drew a sharp rebuke from the US, who stated that nothing suggested that the Lebanese authorities had anything to do with the El Al attack.
- On 1 January 1976, Flight 438, operated by Boeing 720B registered as OD-AFT, broke up in mid-air after the explosion of a bomb allegedly placed in the forward cargo compartment. All 81 people on board were killed, some of whom were fleeing the ongoing Lebanese Civil War. The aircraft crashed near Al Qaysumah, Saudi Arabia.
- On 12 June 1982, in response to the attempted assassination by the Abu Nidal Group of the Israeli ambassador to Britain, the Israeli army attacked the airport in Beirut, destroying Middle East Airlines Boeing 720-023B OD-AFP. Four days later, four more aircraft were destroyed in a second attack. On 1 August 1982, a 14-hour non-stop bombing raid on Beirut destroyed Boeing 720-047B OD-AGG.
- On 21 August 1985, two MEA Boeing 720s were destroyed by shelling at Beirut International Airport.
- On 8 January 1987, a Boeing 707-323C registered as OD-AHB was destroyed by shelling after landing at Beirut International Airport.
- On 16 November 2001, an Airbus A321-200 registered as F-OHMP was operating as Flight 304 from Beirut International Airport to Cairo International Airport when it sustained damage during a tail strike accident upon landing at Cairo. This airframe would be destroyed by a bomb nearly 14 years later midflight as Metrojet Flight 9268.