LEBANON - Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Works and Transport has launched the first implementation steps to rehabilitate the infrastructure surrounding Qlayaat Airport, officially known as René Mouawad Airport.
The ministry announced through Lebanon’s Public Procurement Authority a tender for works to rehabilitate and maintain the airport’s access road, entrance and surrounding aprons.
Bids are scheduled to be opened on August 27, 2026, marking one of the first concrete steps toward moving the airport’s reopening project from planning and technical preparations to implementation on the ground.
The works are intended to improve key infrastructure serving the airport, including its access points and surrounding areas, which the ministry considers essential to preparing the facility for future operations.
The tender comes as the ministry pursues a phased plan to bring Qlayaat Airport back into Lebanon’s civil aviation network. The process involves infrastructure rehabilitation alongside the completion of technical, operational, security and administrative requirements needed before the airport can safely resume operations under applicable civil aviation standards.
Strategic Role
The ministry has described the reopening of Qlayaat Airport as a national and strategic project that extends beyond the rehabilitation of an individual airport facility.
According to the ministry, restoring operations at Qlayaat could strengthen Lebanon’s overall air transport network by providing additional aviation infrastructure and increasing the sector’s flexibility. It could also help reduce pressure on Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport by creating an additional airport facility in the country’s north.
The project is also expected to have economic implications for Akkar, North Lebanon and surrounding areas, where the airport could support investment, employment and activity in sectors linked to transportation, tourism, services and trade.
The government has previously sought to revive Qlayaat Airport as part of efforts to expand Lebanon’s aviation infrastructure and improve connectivity between the country’s regions.
Phased Implementation
The Public Works Ministry said the rehabilitation process will proceed gradually, with individual components being implemented according to operational priorities and requirements.
The initial focus is on basic infrastructure, including roads, entrances and airport aprons, while additional equipment, facilities and services required for safe and sustainable operations would be addressed in subsequent stages.
The ministry said the process will continue in coordination with relevant governmental, security and technical authorities.
The launch of the tender does not itself set a date for the airport’s reopening. Rather, it represents an early implementation stage in a wider process that requires the completion of infrastructure, technical and regulatory requirements before commercial or other civil aviation operations can resume.
The ministry said it intends to continue implementing the remaining stages of the project with the aim of restoring Qlayaat Airport to operation and integrating its potential into a broader national strategy for developing Lebanon’s air transport sector.
