Lebanese Ministry of Information
Information Minister, Attorney Dr. Paul Morcos, hailed today the launch of the implementation phase and cornerstone laying of President René Mouawad Airport, considering it a major milestone in Lebanon’s national infrastructure agenda.
Speaking to “MTV Lebanon” Channel, Morcos praised the efforts of President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Public Works and Transport Minister Fayez Rasamny, and the government for bringing the long-delayed project into execution.
He said the airport’s importance extends beyond reopening an existing facility, for it is part of a broader strategy to strengthen Lebanon’s aviation network, adding that the airport is expected to complement Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport, increasing national air transport capacity and operational flexibility.
He also highlighted the project’s anticipated economic benefits, including boosting tourism, trade, logistics services, investment inflows, and job creation. He considered that such development supports balanced regional growth, particularly in Akkar and northern Lebanon, while contributing to the revival of public institutions in the region.
“Having a second operational airport in Lebanon is not a luxury but a national necessity, because modern economies do not build the continuity of the air transport sector on just one facility, but on an integrated network of infrastructure capable of keeping pace with growth and dealing with various conditions and changes,” Morcos maintained.
He continued to note that attracting airlines, especially low-cost carriers, could expand travel options for residents and the Lebanese diaspora while reducing travel costs for destinations in the region and Europe.
Additionally, Minister Morcos emphasized the project’s potential benefits for the agricultural sector in Akkar by facilitating faster, more competitive air freight exports to Gulf and regional markets. Furthermore, he explained that the airport’s proximity to the Port of Tripoli could help establish an integrated sea-air logistics platform in northern Lebanon, enhancing competitiveness and attracting investment.
Morcos added that modern airports serve as economic hubs that stimulate commercial, service, and investment activities beyond transportation alone.
“Qoleiat Airport is not a project that solely concerns Akkar or the North, but rather is a national project for all of Lebanon, combining the economic, developmental and strategic dimensions, and reflecting the state’s ability to move from the stage of studies to actual implementation in partnership with the private sector, which enhances confidence in Lebanon’s economic future and its ability to regain its role as a center for movement and investment in the region,” Morcos concluded.
