Airport activity on the rise in the first half of the year

The Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport witnessed an improvement in the number of passengers and flights in the first half of 2015, compared to the same period last year, according to a statement released by airport authorities, today.

The number of passengers rose by six percent to 3.1 million, compared to 2.9 million last year. Incoming passengers rose by 6.5 percent to 1.5 million. The number of outgoing passengers grew by six percent to 1.5 million and transit passengers climbed 13 percent to 8,600.

The number of flights rose by four percent to 30,835, split equally between incoming and outgoing trips.

The weight of airborne goods dropped by 6.5 percent to 45,440 tons. Exported merchandise grew by three percent to 19,000 tons, while imports fell by 14 percent to 26,496 tons. Mail dropped by 40 percent to a record 248 tons.