Beirut is served by Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport (BEY), the sole international airport of Lebanon. As the primary gateway to the country, it receives vital connectivity from across the Middle East, from Europe, Africa, North America, and key destinations in Asia, serving both the large Lebanese diaspora and regional business travel arriving into the city.
Travelers arriving into Beirut will find the most frequent and competitive service from regional hubs and diaspora centers. Top inbound routes include direct flights from Dubai (DXB), Istanbul (IST), Doha (DOH), Paris (CDG), London (LHR), Frankfurt (FRA), and Cairo (CAI) to BEY. Essential long-haul arrivals extend from New York (JFK), Montreal (YUL), São Paulo (GRU), and Accra (ACC) into Beirut.
The market is anchored by the national carrier, Middle East Airlines (MEA), which operates a comprehensive network into its BEY hub. They face strong competition on regional and international routes into Beirut from major airlines like Emirates, Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways, Air France, and British Airways arriving at BEY. The competition, especially on routes from Europe and the Gulf to Beirut, helps moderate fares.
To secure cheap flights to Beirut, booking well in advance into BEY is crucial, particularly for peak travel times around summer, Christmas, and Easter. Compare prices between MEA and the major foreign carriers on your desired route to Beirut; MEA often has competitive direct fares into BEY, while connecting via Istanbul or Dubai can sometimes be cheaper to reach the city. Sign up for MEA's promotional alerts for flights to Beirut. Be extremely flexible with dates if possible for arrivals at BEY, as fares can fluctuate significantly based on high seasonal demand from the diaspora. For regional travel to Beirut, last-minute deals into BEY are rare due to consistently high load factors.