The military will assist the Ministry of Transport in addressing the issue of staff shortage among air traffic controllers. Fifteen officers from the air forces, specialized in this field, will reinforce the civilian team of air traffic controllers at the Beirut Airport.
The caretaker Minister of Public Works and Transport, Ali Hamiye, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Lebanese Army, General Joseph Aoun, signed an agreement on Monday, by which the regular forces’ command commits to assigning specialized officers in air traffic control to the General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGAC) to ensure the sustainability of work within the Air Navigation Authority (ANA).
In a statement made during the ceremony, Hamiye recalled that twenty-five air traffic controllers had also been appointed by the Council of Ministers. With the newly selected officers, the issue of staff shortage will be resolved.
These individuals had undergone various corresponding training sessions in different countries worldwide, enhancing their skills. This prompted the General Directorate of Civil Aviation to seek their assistance to become partners in managing air navigation at the airport.
The Minister expressed satisfaction that there is now a fundamental pillar to ensure aviation safety at the airport.
It is worth noting that this issue had concerned the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), given that the shortage of air traffic controllers dates back to 2010. However, the situation worsened with the economic and financial crisis that has afflicted Lebanon since 2020. According to Hamiye, the number of employees within the DGAC dropped from 900 to 200.
Furthermore, the Minister praised the cooperation between his department and the Lebanese army, stating that the latter “has the necessary skills and human and technical resources that qualify it to provide support in several areas when there is a staffing shortage problem.”
In this context, he recalled the cooperation established between his ministry and the army for the survey of public maritime properties from Naqoura to Arida (to identify encroachments on the maritime public domain and provide additional income to the Lebanese state). Hamiye announced that the agreement signed on Monday will be followed by another, “currently being prepared, aimed at carrying out the technical survey of the entire airport perimeter, as required by the ICAO.”
This survey has not been conducted for 30 years and had been executed at that time by specialized foreign companies, he explained.
