Mada Airways looks to launch operations from northern Lebanon

Lebanon is poised to gain its first new domestically registered airline in more than five decades, as start-up carrier Mada Airways prepares to launch scheduled passenger operations from northern Lebanon.

The airline, a sister company of private jet operator IBEX Air Charter, plans to operate from Rene Moawad Airport in Qleiaat, once it receives its AOC and the airport’s rehabilitation works are completed. The planned fleet consists of one E170 and one E190.

Mada Airways’ entry follows the expiration earlier this year of a long-standing exclusivity agreement that granted Middle East Airlines (MEA) a monopoly over Lebanon’s commercial aviation market since 1969. The arrangement prevented other airlines from registering as Lebanese commercial carriers, although foreign airlines remained free to serve the country.

The changing market landscape is also prompting MEA to adapt. The flag carrier plans to launch a low-cost subsidiary, Fly Beirut, in 2027 with an initial Airbus A320 fleet, aiming to strengthen its position as competition emerges for the first time in decades.