Middle East Airlines

- **Middle East Airlines Ground Handling (MEAG)** ::Founded in 1999, MEAG is the main ground handling agent at Beirut International Airport, handling nearly 80% of all traffic. MEAG also operates a fixed-base operator called *Cedar Jet Center* at the General Aviation Terminal. - **Middle East Airports Services (MEAS)** ::Founded in 1998, MEAS is responsible for the operation and maintenance of Beirut International Airport. Services range from cleaning of the terminals to de-rubberising the runways. - **Mideast Aircraft Services Company (MASCO)** ::Founded in 1955, MASCO is the only fully-fledged aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul provider at Beirut International Airport. MASCO is a part 145 EASA-approved MRO with full airframe check capabilities on the Airbus A300, A310, A320, and A330 family aircraft. MASCO is also certified to carry out aircraft painting. - **Fly Beirut** ::MEA has announced the establishment of a new low cost airline, to be called Fly Beirut. It is planned to launch sometime in 2027, with a focus on Middle Eastern and European destinations (currently under study). In addition, MEA owns 77.5% of the **Lebanese Beirut Airport Catering Company (LBACC)**, the only catering provider at Beirut International Airport. ## Accidents and incidents ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/Destroyed_MEA_aircraft_1982.jpg" caption="An MEA aircraft was destroyed during a confrontation between the Israelis and the [[Palestine Liberation Organization]] in 1982"] :: - On 24 July 1950, an Air Liban Douglas DC-3 registered as LR-AAN was shot at by an Israeli Spitfire; the DC-3 landed safely at Beirut Airport, but 3 passengers (of 28 on board) were killed in the attack. - On 6 January 1952, an Air Liban SNCASE Languedoc registered as OD-ABU crashed on take-off from Beirut Airport, and was consequently destroyed by fire. All nine passengers and crew on board survived. The aircraft was operating a scheduled international passenger flight from Beirut to Kuwait Airport, Kuwait. - On 29 September 1958, Middle East Airlines Avro York registered as OD-ADB disappeared over the Mediterranean Sea with five on board. - On 1 February 1963, [Flight 265](1963-ankara-mid-air-collision), a Vickers Viscount 754D registered as OD-ADE, was involved in a mid-air collision with Turkish Air Force C-47 *CBK28*. Both aircraft crashed in Ankara, killing all 14 on board the Viscount, all 3 on board the C-47 and a further 87 people on the ground. - On 17 April 1964, Flight 444 operated by Sud Caravelle III registered as OD-AEM struck the sea near Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, killing all 49 on board; the cause of the accident was not determined. - On 21 April 1964, a Middle East Airlines Vickers Viscount 754D registered as OD-ACX was damaged beyond economic repair at El Arish, Egypt after the taxiway it was taxiing on collapsed. - On 28 December 1968, seven MEA aircraft were destroyed in a [raid](1968-israeli-raid-on-lebanon) by Israeli commandos at Beirut International Airport. This attack was in retaliation for a terrorist attack on an El Al Boeing aircraft in Athens which killed an Israeli mechanic. The attack drew a sharp rebuke from the US, who stated that nothing suggested that the Lebanese authorities had anything to do with the El Al attack. - On 1 January 1976, Flight 438, operated by Boeing 720B registered as OD-AFT, broke up in mid-air after the explosion of a bomb allegedly placed in the forward cargo compartment. All 81 people on board were killed, some of whom were fleeing the ongoing Lebanese Civil War. The aircraft crashed near Al Qaysumah, Saudi Arabia. - On 12 June 1982, in response to the attempted assassination by the Abu Nidal Group of the Israeli ambassador to Britain, the Israeli army attacked the airport in Beirut, destroying Middle East Airlines Boeing 720-023B OD-AFP. Four days later, four more aircraft (three 720s and one 707) were destroyed in a second attack. On 1 August 1982, a 14-hour non-stop bombing raid on Beirut destroyed Boeing 720-047B OD-AGG. - On 21 August 1985, two MEA Boeing 720s (OD-AFL and OD-AGQ) were destroyed by shelling at Beirut International Airport. - On 8 January 1987, a Boeing 707-323C registered as OD-AHB was destroyed by shelling after landing at Beirut International Airport. - On 16 November 2001, an Airbus A321-200 registered as F-OHMP was operating as Flight 304 from Beirut International Airport to Cairo International Airport when it sustained damage during a tail strike accident upon landing at Cairo. This airframe would be destroyed by a bomb nearly 14 years later midflight as Metrojet Flight 9268. ## Notes ## References ## References 1. ["Middle East Airlines Joins SkyTeam"](http://www.skyteam.com/en/About-us/Press/News/20111/Middle-East-Airlines-Joins-SkyTeam-/). 2. ["MEA - Middle East Airlines on ch-aviation"](https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/airline/ME). 3. Kaminski-Morrow, David. (24 November 2021). ["MEA full-year financial performance hammered by successive calamities"](https://www.flightglobal.com/airlines/mea-full-year-financial-performance-hammered-by-successive-calamities/146572.article). 4. ["Contact Info"](http://www.mea.com.lb/English/ContactUs/Pages/ContactInfo.aspx). 5. ["إتصل بنا"](http://www.mea.com.lb/Arabic/CedarMiles/Pages/ContactUs.aspx). 6. (2007-04-10). "Directory: World Airlines". *[[Flight International]]*. 7. (2006-01-16). ["SkyTeam Welcomes Middle East Airlines, Air Liban (MEA) Interest in SkyTeam Associate Program Governing Board supports carrier's application for Associate Airline status"](http://www.skyteam.com/news/headlines/20060116.html). *SkyTeam*. 8. ["mea – 1969 – 0102"](http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1969/1969%20-%200102.html). 9. (29 November 2011). ["MEA Grounded over Pilot Strike, Releases Revised Tuesday Schedule"](http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/21742). 10. ["History and Network {{!}} About Us {{!}} Middle East Airlines"](https://www.mea.com.lb/english/about-mea/history-and-network). 11. https://www.mtv.com.lb/en/news/Local/1627931/chairman-of-mea-mohamad-el-hout--we-have-set-plans-for-the-next-phase--starting-with-restoring-beirut-s-role-as-a-maintenance-hub-for-international-airlines--launching-fly-beirut-in-2027--and-receivin 12. ["History and Network {{!}} About Us {{!}} Middle East Airlines"](https://www.mea.com.lb/english/about-mea/history-and-network). 13. ["Profile on Middle East Airlines"](http://centreforaviation.com/profiles/airlines/middle-east-airlines-me). *Centre for Aviation*. 14. Ltd. 2018, UBM (UK). ["Air Europa / MEA expands codeshare routes from June 2018"](https://www.routesonline.com/news/38/airlineroute/278682/air-europa-mea-expands-codeshare-routes-from-june-2018/). 15. ["MEA - Middle East Airlines | Codeshare flight"](https://www.mea.com.lb/english/about-mea/codeshare-flight). 16. ["MEA – Inauguration of Code Share Flights between KUWAIT and BEIRUT"](https://www.mea.com.lb/english/about-us/news-and-press-releases/-code-share-flights-between-kuwait-and-beirut). 17. (2 June 2006). ["SNCF, the first rail partner of MEA"](https://www.mea.com.lb/english/about-mea/news-and-press-releases/sncf-the-first-rail-partner-of-mea). *MEA*. 18. (September 2025). "Global Airline Guide 2025 - Middle East Airlines". 19. (9 January 2013). ["MEA firms up order for ten A320neo Family aircraft"](https://www.mea.com.lb/english/about-mea/news-and-press-releases/mea-firms-up-order-for-ten-a320neo-family-aircraft). 20. (10 July 2020). ["Middle East Airlines (MEA) receives its first Airbus A321neo"](https://www.airbus.com/newsroom/press-releases/en/2020/07/middle-east-airlines-mea-receives-its-first-airbus-a321neo.html). 21. (9 October 2020). ["Airbus delivers A320 Family MSN10,000 to Middle East Airlines"](https://www.airbus.com/newsroom/press-releases/en/2020/10/airbus-delivers-a320-family-msn10000-to-middle-east-airlines.html). 22. Sander, Daniel. (12 December 2018). ["Middle East Airlines Orders Four Airbus A330-900neo"](https://airwaysmag.com/airlines/mea-orders-a330-900neo/). 23. (17 June 2019). ["Middle East Airlines orders four Airbus A321XLRs"](https://www.airbus.com/newsroom/press-releases/en/2019/06/middle-east-airlines-orders-four-airbus-a321xlrs.html). 24. ["Top Tier Privileges"](https://www.mea.com.lb/english/cedar-miles/benefits/top-tier-privileges). 25. ["How To Earn Miles With Our Partners"](http://www.mea.com.lb/English/CedarMiles/Partners/Pages/HowToEarnMilesWithOurPartners.aspx). 26. (2025-11-14). ["Middle East Airlines Confirms Fly Beirut Low-cost Carrier"](https://www.aviationbusinessme.com/news/middle-east-airlines-confirms-fly-beirut-low-cost-carrier). 27. "LR-AAN". 28. ["OD-ABU Accident description"](http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19540106-0). *Flight Safety Foundation*. 29. "OD-ADB". 30. ["Accident description"](http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19630201-0). *Flight Safety Foundation*. 31. ["Accident Report MEA Caravelle 17 APR 64"](http://www.aviation-safety.net/reports/640417-0.htm). 32. ["Accident description"](http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19640421-0). *Flight Safety Foundation*. 33. ["Accident description"](http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19681228-08). *Flight Safety Foundation*. 34. [https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1964-68v20/d369 Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Israel], Washington, December 29, 1968: Subject: Israeli Attack on Khaldeh Airport. 35. (2 January 1976). ["All 82 Die as Lebanese Jet Crashes in Arabian Desert"](https://www.nytimes.com/1976/01/02/archives/new-jersey-pages-all-82-die-as-lebanese-jet-crashes-in-arabian.html). 36. ["Criminal occurrence description"](http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19760101-1). *Flight Safety Foundation*. 37. "OD-AFL". 38. "OD-AGQ". 39. ["Criminal Occurrence description"](http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19870108-0). *Flight Safety Foundation*. 40. ["Accident description: Middle East Airlines – MEA Airbus A321-231 F-OHMP"](http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20011116-0). *Flight Safety Foundation*. ::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_East_Airlines) and is available under the [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the [article history page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_East_Airlines?action=history). ::