Rasamny says MoPWT moved immediately to reopen vital routes after ceasefire
Public Works and Transport Minister Fayez Rasamny said the MoPWT moved immediately after the ceasefire to reopen critical transport routes and preserve the operation of key public facilities, particularly Beirut airport and the port, to prevent disruptions to supply chains for food, medicine and fuel.
In remarks to the National News Agency, Rasamny said ministry teams began field operations at 3 a.m. on the first day of the ceasefire in coordination with the Lebanese army and UNIFIL. He said authorities reopened major routes in southern Lebanon including Qasmiyeh Bridge, the Burj Rahhal highway and Khardali road linking Nabatieh and Marjayoun, alongside dozens of internal and main roads across southern Lebanon.
Moreover, Rasamny noted that continuing Israeli strikes had repeatedly damaged roads already cleared by ministry teams, complicating permanent repairs. Rasamny said extensive damage affected roads and bridges, particularly in the south, including the February 6 Bridge, Qaaqaaiyet al-Jisr, Knaissat, Qasmiyeh and the Burj Rahhal axis.
On air traffic, Rasamny said Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport recorded a sharp increase in arrivals after the ceasefire, with average daily arrivals rising from 2,415 passengers in April to 3,630 during the first six days of May, an increase of 50.3%.
Rasamny added that arrivals exceeded departures by 1,437 passengers between May 1 and May 6, compared with April, when departures surpassed arrivals by 6,455 passengers.
The Minister further explained that the recovery coincided with the return of several airlines, including Air Arabia, Jazeera Airways, Emirates, EgyptAir, Turkish Airlines, Etihad Airways, Air France, Aegean Airlines, Transavia, Qatar Airways, Royal Jordanian, Iraqi Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Kuwait Airways and Cyprus Airways.
Regarding René Moawad Airport in Qlayaat, Rasamny said bids for its operation would be opened on May 19, followed by technical and administrative evaluations. He said the winning operator would have 90 days to build a passenger terminal and rehabilitate operational infrastructure to prepare the airport for commercial flights under international civil aviation standards.
Rasamny concluded that the government has effectively placed Qlayaat airport on track for reopening more than three decades after it ceased to operate.
