Beirut airport bans Boeing 737 Max

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has prohibited the operation of Boeing 737 Max aircraft in local airspace.

The Boeing 737-8 Max and Boeing 737-9 Max will not be operated from, in, to, or over local airspace until further notice. They are also prohibited from landing at Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport (BRHIA).

Operators who were scheduled to fly Boeing 737 Max aircraft to Lebanon are allowed to continue to their planned destination using other types of aircraft.

The decision comes after an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 crashed three days ago. The latest incident has marked similarities with the accident of Indonesian Lion Air last October.

National airline operator Middle East Airlines (MEA) does not use Boeing 737 Max.

Omar Kaddouha, Head of Flight Safety Department at the Directorate, said: “In the coming month, there are no scheduled flights for this type of plane at or over our airport.”

Carl Rizk, Head of Air Transport Department at the Directorate, said: “Whenever a new operator submits a request to operate at the airport, we give an approval to operate the entire fleet, which may include this aircraft.”

The ban, so far, has not had an impact on flight activity at BRHIA, as there are no cancellations or postponements registered, according to Rizk.

Boeing Max aircraft have been grounded in over 40 countries.