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ILLUSTRATIVE IMAGE: Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut, Lebanon.
Trump’s Plan to Restart US-Lebanon Flights Faces Safety Hurdles
BEIRUT, Lebanon — October 16, 2026
A United Nations aviation agency has found safety and regulatory problems at Lebanon’s main airport, creating a new obstacle to US President Donald Trump’s plan to restore direct flights between the United States and Beirut.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) identified shortcomings at Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport and within Lebanon’s aviation system during a technical mission in July. A summary of its report, seen by Reuters, said the airport’s conditional certification had expired and that several safety requirements remained unresolved.
Trump announced the plan in July and signed an order last month to allow the US government to resume direct flights to Lebanon. The move would reverse a suspension lasting about four decades, introduced after TWA Flight 847 was hijacked and forced to land in Beirut in 1985.
However, the order does not automatically permit airlines to restart service. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) must still conduct safety reviews before direct flights can resume.
The ICAO report identified several concerns at Beirut airport. Its firefighting resources are equipped to handle single-aisle aircraft but not the twin-aisle jets commonly used on long-haul routes. The airport also lacks an emergency plan, according to the report summary.
The agency warned that the situation required urgent attention to protect the airport’s operating status. It also found that Lebanon’s Civil Aviation Authority lacked qualified inspectors to oversee air traffic control licensing. In addition, Lebanon did not have a fully established, independent aircraft accident investigation authority with clearly defined responsibilities.
These concerns were also discussed during a two-day workshop last month involving officials from ICAO, the Lebanese government and US aviation agencies, according to industry officials and a meeting agenda seen by Reuters.
Lebanon’s Minister of Public Works and Transport, Fayez Rasamny, said the government was taking corrective action. He said efforts to certify the airport would begin on Saturday, with the civil aviation authority expecting to issue conditional certification in the coming days.
Rasamny said the Lebanese authority had already identified most of the problems and started addressing them. However, he added that progress had been delayed by the war. Israeli forces remain in southern Lebanon and have continued strikes despite a US-brokered framework agreement signed by Israel and Lebanon in June. Hezbollah, which was not a party to the agreement, has rejected it.
The Lebanese embassy in Washington described Trump’s order as an important first step toward restoring direct air service. The FAA declined to comment, while ICAO said it could not discuss individual countries but conducts targeted assessments for its member states.
Security concerns remain another major obstacle. The US State Department advises Americans against travelling to Lebanon, while the FAA has urged caution for flights in Lebanese airspace because of heightened military activity around Syria. The advisory includes the risk of stray long-range surface-to-air missiles originating from Syrian territory.
Wider regional conflict has also disrupted air travel. Airlines have avoided large areas of Middle Eastern airspace because of missile and drone threats since US and Israeli strikes on Iran in February triggered regional hostilities.
Lebanon and its national carrier, Middle East Airlines, have continued operating flights and maintaining air navigation services despite the instability. These services are important for an economy that relies heavily on tourism and money sent home by Lebanese people working abroad.
Three US airline officials told Reuters they did not expect American carriers to resume flights to Lebanon in the near term, citing security concerns. Although there are currently no direct flights between Beirut and the United States, Lebanon remains connected to several major European cities by air.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency said it was aware of the ICAO report. It added that European airlines must independently assess an airport’s safety and operational readiness before introducing services.
