Minister of Public Works and Transport Fayez Rasamny underscored the strategic importance of reopening Rene Mouawad Airport in Kleiate, describing it as “a cornerstone for boosting commercial and tourism activity in the North.”
In his remarks during a visit to Abdel Wahab Island in Tripoli on Monday, Rasamny said that the economic feasibility study for the airport has been completed, and the project now awaits the necessary executive steps to resume operations. “The current government is focused on delivering tangible achievements,” he stressed.
The Rene Mouawad or Kleiate Airport is located roughly 26 km northeast of Tripoli and just 7 km from the Syrian border. It was originally built by the French in 1934 and expanded in the 1960s under Lebanese Army control, even hosting civilian domestic flights in the late 1980s.
The current government is now moving to revive the facility and commissioned Dar al-Handasah to finalize a feasibility study and preliminary master plan in the coming months.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam indicated that the airport could be operational within a year, with several foreign investors expressing interest, while officials are exploring a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model to accelerate development and reduce public expenditure.
Comments