Middle East Airlines updates weekend flight schedule amid ongoing regional conflict

Friday 06 - 19:00

Middle East Airlines (MEA), Lebanon’s national carrier, has released an updated flight schedule for the weekend as tensions continue to escalate in the Middle East. The announcement comes roughly a week after the outbreak of a new phase of hostilities in the region.

Despite the volatile security situation, Lebanon’s main aviation hub, Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport, and the country’s airspace remain open, allowing airlines to maintain part of their regular operations while adapting schedules to changing conditions.

In two statements issued on Friday, Middle East Airlines clarified that several flight adjustments will take place over the weekend. The airline also corrected an earlier notice, confirming that the Athens route, flight ME251/252, will operate according to its normal schedule.

Regular long-haul and European routes maintained

According to the airline, a number of long-haul and European services will continue to operate as scheduled. These include routes connecting Beirut with major cities such as London, Frankfurt, Düsseldorf and Yerevan.

Regular regional and international flights to destinations including Paris, Cairo, Istanbul, Jeddah, Athens and Larnaca will also remain largely unaffected.

The company indicated that additional changes expected for Monday will be announced on Saturday.

Special flights and rescheduling options

To manage operational disruptions, MEA announced several special flights to replace canceled services. Passengers whose bookings were affected can rebook their tickets without paying additional fees.

Regular flights between Beirut and Dubai scheduled for Saturday, March 7, and Sunday, March 8 have been canceled. These services will be replaced by a special round-trip flight, ME1428/1429, departing Beirut at 5:55 a.m. and Dubai at 1:30 p.m. local time on both days.

Flights between Beirut and Abu Dhabi have also been canceled for the weekend. Replacement flights (ME416/417) are scheduled on both days, with adjusted departure times from Beirut and Abu Dhabi.

For travelers departing from Cairo, the return flight ME307 has been canceled on both Saturday and Sunday. Passengers can instead board flight ME305, which will depart Cairo at 2:10 p.m.

MEA has also scheduled several additional services to accommodate passengers. Three extra flights from Beirut to Istanbul will operate on Saturday, while two additional flights will run on Sunday. Additional connections from Beirut to Riyadh and Larnaca are also planned for Saturday.

Further schedule changes expected

Additional timetable adjustments are planned for Monday morning. The Beirut–Riyadh flight ME424 will depart at 9:40 a.m., while the return flight ME425 is scheduled for 2:55 p.m. Meanwhile, the Beirut–Cairo flight ME304 and the Cairo–Beirut flight ME305 will depart at 1:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., respectively.

Regional cancellations

Several regional routes will be suspended on Saturday, including flights to Erbil, Doha, Baghdad and Kuwait City, as well as the evening connection between Beirut and Amman.

On Sunday, additional cancellations will affect several regional routes, including flights to Kuwait City, Baghdad, Najaf, Doha, Dammam and the evening Beirut–Amman service.

The airline emphasized that its operations remain under continuous review as regional conditions evolve.