January 28, 2026
Mayez Obaid – Call of the Nation
Regarding the restart of President Rene Mouawad Airport in Klayaat, available information indicates that a number of local and international companies have expressed serious interest in investing in this vital project. With the removal of the political obstacles that were hindering the operation of the airport, in addition to the adoption of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) law, the general legal framework is ready to launch the airport procurement workshop.
According to studies, the airport is expected to provide about 6,000 job opportunities in its early stages, with these opportunities gradually increasing as operation expands. The information also indicates that the current government intends to end this file before the beginning of the summer of 2026, that is, before the end of its constitutional mandate, so that Qlayaat Airport becomes a right due after many years of demand.
Mediterranean project
In this context, the head of the Tripoli and North Lebanon Chamber, Tawfiq Dabboussi, confirmed in an interview with “Nidaa Al Watan” that Klayaat Airport is not a regional project or limited to the north, but rather “an airport for all of Lebanon, and a Mediterranean project, starting from Greater Tripoli,” considering that its operation constitutes a national priority and a red line that cannot be undone. Dabboussi stresses that reactivating the airport represents an urgent economic and development need, calling on the Lebanese state to assume its responsibilities in this vital file, and directing a direct appeal to the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, and the Minister of Public Works and Transport to expedite taking the necessary decisions to put the airport on the path to implementation.
Economic and social transformation
For his part, Engineer Ali Al-Hanash points out that in the Qlayaat Airport file, we are facing a process of rehabilitation rather than reconstruction, noting that 26 companies have submitted offers of interest. We hope that the best offer that meets the interests of the state and the region will be chosen.
He adds that the airport restart project constitutes a real development opportunity, as it is not just an air transport facility, but rather a strategic infrastructure capable of bringing about a broad economic and social transformation in a region that has long suffered from marginalization and lack of investments.
From a technical standpoint, Al-Hanash believes that Qlayaat Airport has a promising location and operational and logistical capabilities, whether in terms of area or proximity to the northern border and regional markets, which allows it to play a complementary role with Rafic Hariri International Airport, especially in the areas of low-cost aviation and air cargo. Economically, Al-Hanash points out that operating the airport will contribute to revitalizing vital sectors such as transportation, tourism, services, and construction, as well as improving the infrastructure surrounding it, with its impact extending to Akkar, Tripoli, and various regions of the north.
In conclusion, René Mouawad Airport in Klayaat returns to the forefront of the national debate as a long-awaited development project, around which economic and technical approaches intersect as it is an urgent need and not a construction luxury. Between the legal readiness, the interest of companies, and the growing consensus on its developmental role, the challenge remains in translating this momentum into executive decisions that put the file on the path to actual implementation, making Klayaat Airport a real development lever that restores economic balance and opens new horizons for northern Lebanon.
