# Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport (BEY)

> Beirut, LB · IATA: BEY · ICAO: OLBA · Large Airport · Cargo Hub

## Quick Facts

| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| IATA | `BEY` |
| ICAO | `OLBA` |
| City | Beirut |
| Country | LB |
| Type | Large Airport |
| Elevation | 27 m |
| Cargo | ✅ |
| GPS | 33.82090, 35.48840 |

## Description

Middle East Airlines (MEA), Lebanon's state carrier, is the dominant operator at Beirut Rafic Hariri International (BEY/OLBA), the country's only international airport. Its wholly owned subsidiary MEA Ground Handling (MEAG) processes close to 80% of all airport traffic, providing ramp and cargo services to most carriers based or calling here, and runs a modern three-level, 2,000 m² warehouse for imported freight cleared by Lebanese Customs. Annual throughput sits around 150,000 tonnes, now carried almost entirely in passenger belly holds since dedicated freighter operators TMA Cargo and Wings of Lebanon ceased flying. In April 2026, scheduled international service resumed after a roughly 40-day war-related suspension tied to the Iran conflict, with Qatar Airways and Iraq's UR Airlines among the first back — a reminder of how exposed Lebanon's sole air gateway remains. Perched on the eastern Mediterranean shore, BEY offers short sectors to southern and western Europe, a useful edge while the adjacent Port of Beirut works at reduced capacity after the 2020 blast. The airport still handles the import and export consignments that underpin Lebanese trade despite a fragile economy and security situation. For forwarders it is effectively the sole air gateway into the country; the only land alternatives run by road through Syria or Jordan.

---

*Freight Academy — Airport Profile: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/beirut-rafic-hariri-international-airport-bey](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/beirut-rafic-hariri-international-airport-bey)*

*Markdown mirror: [https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/airports/en/beirut-rafic-hariri-international-airport-bey](https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/airports/en/beirut-rafic-hariri-international-airport-bey)*

*LLM-Summary (JSON): https://www.freight-academy.com/api/v1/airports/beirut-rafic-hariri-international-airport-bey/llm-summary*