René Mouawad Airport

René Mouawad Airport (Arabic: مطار الرئيس الشهيد رينيه معوض, romanized: Maṭār ar-Raʾīs aš-Šahīd Rinih Muʿawwad), also known as Qlayaat or Kleyate Airport (Arabic: مطار القليعات), is a joint civil–military airport in the town of Qlayaat, Akkar District, Northern Lebanon, located approximately 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) from the Lebanon–Syria border. The facility is operated by the Lebanese Armed Forces as René Mouawad Air Base. As of 2026, it is currently being rehabilitated for the resumption of civilian operations alongside its continued military use. History Early history Qlayaat airport originally began as a small private airstrip constructed in 1934 by the Iraq Petroleum Company, which it began to use in order to transport its employees and technicians between Lebanon and other Arab countries with the help of it’s fleet of small aircraft The location of Qlayaat airfield was chosen because of its strategic location in the flat costal plain of Akkar in Northern Lebanon as well as to it’s close proximity to the railway line connecting Lebanon to Syria and Iraq via railway In 1938, the French mandate authorities of Greater Lebanon, recognized the stratigic value of Qlayaat airstrip, and with the help of the French army took control of it and began converting it into a military airfield in order to suit their needs at the time During World War II In late june 1940, Qlayaat military airfield like the rest of French mandate Lebanon and Syria airfield’s fell under the control of the Vichy regime a puppet state created and controlled by Nazi Germany after the fall of France Because of Qlayaat airfield strategic military location, Vichy France began using it in order to serve it's military needs, they stationed their air force in it in order to stop and deter any allied advance into the region, they used Qlayaat airbase mostly in a defensive manner rather than launching provactive attacks against the allies In 1941 , Great Britain learned that Nazi Germany was using Vichy France air bases in the Levant to refuel, causing a major alarm that Nazi Germany could potentially attack the Suez canal and sever Great Britain acess to much of it’s Empire, which promoted Great Britain along with her allies to recapture Lebanon and Syria from Vichy France in Operation Exporter in the Syria–Lebanon campaign. Once the allies captured Qlayaat military airfield they began using it for their military needs Post World War II After World War II was over, Qlayaat airfield was once again reactivated for civilian use and returned to the Iraq Petroleum Company to operate and use it After Lebanon gaining Independence When Lebanon declared independence from France, it inherited Qlayaat airfield from the French mandate authorities along with four other airfields. During the early 1960s, Qlayaat airfield was still being used for civilian purposes, mainly by the Iraq Petroleum Company to transport its employees, engineers and other technicians between Lebanon and other Arab countries using small aircraft In 1966, the Lebanese Army took control of Qlayaat airfield, and began the process of expanding and modernizing it into a joint civil-military airport installation, in order to house the modern French-supplied Dassault Mirage III fighter jets, as well as the training of pilots and technicians accordingly. At the time Qlayaat airport was the most advance airbase in the region A contract was signed between Lebanon and France for the Lebanese Air Force to acquire modern Dassault Mirage III fighter jets as well as for Lebanese pilots and technicians to undergo training in France. At the beginning of 1968, Lebanese pilots and technicians began returning from France to Lebanon, and later were stationed in Qlayaat airabase, pending the arrival of the modern Dassault Mirage III fighter jets from France. The first two Dassault Mirage III figther jets landed in Qlayaat air base in April of the same year, flown by two Lebanese pilots. The delivery of the other Dassault Mirage III fighter jets followed in a non-stop air flights from France to Qlayaat airbase. All deliveries of Dassault Mirage III had been completed by June 1969. The Dassault Mirage III figther jets performed outstanding air activities and executed numerous missions. Their flight readiness rate was very high due to the elevated capacities of its Lebanese pilots and technician teams. In the mid 1980s, The Lebanese air force was reported to have ten French-made Dassault Mirage III fighter-bombers, of which only three were in commission Lebanese Civil War During the Lebanese Civil War, military activity at Qlayaat air base significantly declined and due to the precarious economic situation generated by the Lebanese Civil War the Dassault Mirage III fighter jets were placed in storage from 1978 on wards However, Qlayaat airport role as a civilian airport intensified during the last two years of the Lebanese Civil War between 1988 and 1990, due to most of the roads leading in and out of Beirut and to other parts of the country where closed or blockaded by Lebanese militias, which lead Middle East Airlines, Lebanon’s national carrier, to offer flights between Beirut airport and Qlayaat airport, in order connect Beirut to Northern Lebanon A pivotal historic moment for Lebanon came on November 5, 1989 when the Lebanese Parliament convened on the grounds of Qlayaat airbase in order to ratify the Taif Agreement to endorse urgent political reforms, which resulted in the election of Hussein al-Husseini as speaker of Lebanese parliament, and René Moawad as president of Lebanon. However 17 days later after the election René Moawad as president of Lebanon, René Moawad was killed in an assassination by a car bomb in Beirut, planted by unknown assailants. This prompted the Lebanese government to rename Qlayaat airport to René Mouawad International Airport in his memory and to honour him as well. Later the airport was handed down to the Lebanese Air Force, in order to symbolise national sovereignty assertions against factional divisions. 2000 Because of the high maintenance cost, and the worsening of the economy due to the Lebanese civil war. The Mirage 3 flew with the Lebanese Air Force until 1978, and then was grounded. After a long period in storage, they were sold to Pakistan in the year 2000. 2006 war and aftermath On 13 July 2006, the airport was bombed by the Israeli Air Force during the 2006 Lebanon War. The airport was subsequently repaired and continued operating as a Lebanese Air Force installation. As of the early 2010s, Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma helicopters were stationed at the base. Redevelopment and reopening 2010s Plans to expand the airport's civilian role have existed since the late 2000s. In 2010, the Director General of Civil Aviation, Hamdi Chaouk, announced plans to develop the airport for cargo operations and low-cost carriers serving northern Lebanon. In January 2012, the Lebanese cabinet approved plans to restore the airport for cargo and low-cost airline operations, although implementation was subsequently delayed. 2020s On 16 February 2025, following disruptions affecting Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport, Minister of Public Works and Transport Fayez Rasamny stated that Lebanon required a second operational airport and indicated that plans to rehabilitate Qoleiat Airport would be advanced. On 25 March 2025, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced during a visit to the airport that it would become operational for civilian flights within a year. On 11 November 2025, MEA chairman Mohamad El Hout announced plans for a low-cost subsidiary, Fly Beirut, which would be based at René Mouawad Airport and commence operations in 2027 with a fleet of six aircraft. On 19 May 2026, Sky Lounge Services won the bid to relaunch the airport. On 6 June 2026, Rasamny officially launched the rehabilitation project for the airport and announced that civilian operations were expected to begin within weeks. Initial destinations were reported to include Istanbul, Mersin, and Dubai. According to project estimates announced at the launch ceremony, the airport was expected to handle approximately 114,000 passengers during its first year of operation and more than 600,000 annually by its fourth year. Restarting Qlayaat airport as a civilian airport aims to stimulate Northern Lebanon’s economy. On the 10 June, Mada Airway a new local Lebanese airline currently created, since Middle East Airlines (MEA) was granted its monopoly in 1969is ready to launch it self and plans to operate exclusively from Qlayaat- Rene Moawad Airport after its rehabilitation rather than from Beirut airport Reasons For Redevelopment and Reopening as Civilian airport Reopening of the long dormant Rene Mouawad airport for civilian use would help simulate the economy of Akkar region in Northern Lebanon which has been neglected for years by the Lebanese goverment would around 5000 jobs . Also the reopening of Rene Mouawad airport would reduce reliance on Beirut airport Lebanon's currently sole international aerial gateway See also Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport Rayak Air Base Lebanese Air Force List of airports in Lebanon References