Lebanon will construct a new terminal costing $122 million at Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport (BEY).
BEY airport is the only operational commercial airport in Lebanon, and has not undergone any expansion since 1998.
Airport officials said that when the new terminal opens in four years, it will be operated by Irish airport company daa International.
ABC News reported that Lebanon’s minister of public works and transport Ali Hamie said that the new terminal will bring in private sector investments worth $122 million and will handle 3.5 million passengers annually when operations begin in 2027.
Hamie also said that the project will create 500 direct jobs and 2,000 related jobs.
Lebanon is currently undergoing an economic and financial crisis which began in October 2019, and was exacerbated by factors such as COVID-19 and the August 2020 Port of Beirut explosion.
“The project opens more horizons for air aviation between Lebanon and the world,” Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati was reported to have said.
Mikati added that it will help in solving several problems, including crowding at the current terminal, saying that the new terminal will be for chartered and low-cost carriers.