UN aviation audit flags safety gaps, stalls Trump-backed US-Beirut flight plan

A UN-run aviation mission concluded that Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport does not hold a valid certification, citing the absence of an emergency plan and insufficient firefighting resources for twin-aisle aircraft. The report also identified shortcomings in the Lebanese Civil Aviation Authority, such as a lack of qualified inspectors and no independent accident investigation authority. These issues threaten President Donald Trump's July pledge and the executive order signed last month to resume direct US-Beirut flights, which had been halted since a 1985 hijacking.

Lebanon's Minister of Public Works and Transport Fayez Rasamny said corrective actions are underway and conditional certification could be issued shortly, though progress has been delayed by regional conflict. The US Federal Aviation Administration and Transportation Security Administration must still conduct their own safety reviews, and the State Department advises Americans against traveling to Lebanon amid heightened military activity. Security concerns have also kept US airlines from committing to the route, while European carriers must perform their own assessments.