📰 9 sources 10 articles · 16 Oct 2026, 19:52 → 9 hours ago

ICAO report on Beirut airport hampers efforts to resume direct Lebanon-US flights

US administration efforts led by President Donald Trump to resume direct flights between the United States and Lebanon, after a long interruption, are continuing. Reports reveal an ICAO technical report that found deficiencies at Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport, including the absence of a valid accreditation certificate, which officials say may delay the resumption of flights. Lebanese authorities, meanwhile, stress there is no impact on air traffic at the airport.

📍 Where things stand: The US push to resume direct flights remains unresolved, with reports speaking of a possible delay of more than two years due to technical gaps, while the Lebanese Civil Aviation Authority says there is no concern for air traffic at Beirut airport.

⏱️ Timeline

16 Oct 2026, 19:52 Reuters reported in an exclusive that efforts by US President Donald Trump to resume direct flights between the United States and Lebanon are facing obstacles, citing sources as saying that deficiencies at Beirut airport mentioned in a recent report could delay the resumption of those flights.
16 Oct 2026, 22:48 A report by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) found that Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport lacks a valid accreditation certificate and identified deficiencies at the airport and in the Lebanese aviation system during a visit by an ICAO technical assistance mission last July. Senior aviation officials believe these findings could delay the resumption of direct flights between the United States and Lebanon and complicate implementation of the US decision.
16 Oct 2026, 23:41 The ICAO report cited deficiencies at Beirut airport and in the Lebanese aviation system, including the airport's lack of a valid accreditation certificate and of an emergency plan. Officials at US airlines said they do not expect flights to Lebanon to resume soon due to security concerns, while US President Donald Trump seeks to restore direct flights between the two countries.
17 Oct 2026, 00:30 A report by Al Akhbar newspaper said Beirut airport is currently not qualified to receive US aviation, and that direct flights to the United States will not resume for at least two years.
17 Oct 2026, 09:09 Media reports, including Al Ghad channel and Arabian Business, said US President Donald Trump's efforts to resume direct flights between Lebanon and the United States face obstacles delaying this, without further details on the nature of those obstacles.
17 Oct 2026, 14:35 Following a Reuters report that Beirut airport lacks a valid accreditation certificate, the head of the General Directorate of Civil Aviation, Captain Mohammad Aziz, gave a video clarification on the issue and whether it affects air traffic.
17 Oct 2026, 16:11 The Lebanese Civil Aviation Authority announced that there is no concern for air traffic at Beirut airport, in a statement reassuring that operations at the airport continue.
18 Oct 2026, 07:37 An ICAO technical report revealed gaps in safety and oversight procedures at Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport, including the expiry of the conditional accreditation certificate, inadequate firefighting equipment for wide-body aircraft and a shortage of qualified inspectors, which may delay the resumption of direct flights between Lebanon and the United States after an interruption lasting more than 40 years; it also referred to a decision signed by US President Donald Trump in September.

Timeline written by AI from the sources below; updated as new reports arrive.

How the sources covered it

Some coverage focused on the technical details in the ICAO report and their effect on the timing of resumption (Sky News Arabia, Lebanon Debate, Al Akhbar), while others focused on the political dimension and the position of US airlines (Reuters, Independent Arabia); other coverage highlighted clarifications by Lebanese officials about air traffic.

Reuters It led with an exclusive on the obstacles facing President Donald Trump's efforts and cited sources saying deficiencies in a recent report could delay resumption, without detailing the content of the ICAO report.
سكاي نيوز عربية It focused on the content of the ICAO report: the absence of a valid accreditation certificate and deficiencies observed during a July technical assistance mission, citing senior aviation officials' assessment that the findings could delay resumption.
اندبندنت عربية It combined the ICAO report's findings on the absence of a valid accreditation certificate and an emergency plan with statements by US airline officials that they do not expect flights to resume soon due to security concerns.
Al Akhbar It went further in estimating the timeframe, saying the airport is currently not qualified to receive US aviation and that resumption will not happen for at least two years.
MTV Lebanon It dedicated its item to a video clarification by the head of the General Directorate of Civil Aviation, Captain Mohammad Aziz, about the accreditation certificate and whether it affects air traffic.
Lebanon Debate It detailed the technical gaps: expiry of the conditional accreditation certificate, inadequate firefighting equipment for wide-body aircraft and a shortage of qualified inspectors, and noted an interruption lasting more than 40 years.