Beirut International Airport (BIA) is showing clear signs of recovery, with passenger numbers climbing steadily in 2025. According to data published in Byblos Bank’s Lebanon This Week bulletin, 5.41 million passengers passed through the airport between January and September 2025, a 10.2% increase compared to 4.88 million during the same period last year.
Despite the rebound, traffic remains 6.5% below 2023 levels, when 5.78 million passengers were recorded, indicating that Lebanon’s aviation sector is recovering but has yet to regain its full strength.
September 2025 marked a notable upswing, with 681,693 passengers, up 40.4% year-on-year, including 296,894 arrivals (+41.3%) and 384,641 departures (+39.7%). In the third quarter alone, the airport handled 2.4 million passengers, compared to 1.9 million in the same period in 2024, an increase of 26%.
Air traffic also rose, with 41,800 takeoffs and landings recorded in the first nine months of 2025, a 5.2% increase from 39,748 flights last year. National carrier Middle East Airlines (MEA) maintained its dominance, accounting for 45.6% of total operations, or 19,071 flights.
In September alone, flight activity surged by 32%, with 5,227 takeoffs and landings compared to 3,959 a year earlier, signaling the gradual return of major international airlines to Lebanon’s skies.
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