I apologize for no airlines of the weak for the last weeks. This week's airline is MEA-Middle East Airlines. MEA is the national flag carrier of Lebanon with its base in Beriut, Lebanon's Rafic Hariri International Airport (IATA: BEY ICAO: OLBA) and is a member Of the Arab Air Carriers Organization (AACO) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA). MEA is planning to join the airline allicane Skyteam in 2008. MEA was created by Saeb Salam on May 31, 1945 during World War II. During this year BOAC gave support to the airline. MEA's services commenced on January 1, 1946 from Beirut to Nicosia, later to Iraq, Egypt, Syria and Cyprus.MEA introduced two DC-3s in the mid year of 1946. MEA's association with BOAC ended on August 16, 2961. Two years later MEA took over the other Lebanese carrier Lebanese International Airways. MEA then updated its fleet with three new Boeing 720Bs and three Caravelles. Unfortunately in 1967 operations were disturbed from the Arab Israeli War. Two years later the airline aquired a Convair CV-990A from American Airlines. Later MEA introduced a Boeing 747-200B (classic) from Beirut to London.
Trouble unfortunately struck again until 1990 when the political problems were stablished. Then MEA modernized its fleet with Airbus A310-300s in 1993 and 1994. This fleet modernization also introduced a Airbus A321-200 and a Airbus A330-200 to replace the A310-300 fleet. Finally on On September 7, 2006 Israel ended its air blockade on Lebanon which lasted 8 weeks. To Book your Middle East Airlines flight go to www.mea.com.lb.
Below: An MEA Airbus A321-221
at Malpensa.
Fleet Breakdown
- 6 Airbus A321-200
- 3 Airbus A330-200
- 6 Airbus A320-200
- 4 Airbus A330-200
Africa
Below: An MEA Airbus A321-231
takes off at Rafic Hariri International Airport.
Côte d'Ivorie
- Abidjan (Port Bouet Airport IATA: ABJ ICAO: DIAP)
- Accra (Kotoka International Airport IATA: ACC ICAO: DGAA)
- Kano (Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport IATA: KAN ICAO: DNKN)
- Lagos (Murtala Mohammed International Airport IATA: LOS ICAO: DNMM)
Below: An MEA Airbus A330-243
taxing at CDG.
Greece
- Athens (Elefthérios Venizélos International Airport IATA: ATH ICAO: LGAV)
- Copenhagen (Kastrup Airport IATA: CPH ICAO: EKCH)
- Düsseldorf (Düsseldorf International Airport IATA: DUS ICAO: EDDL)
- Frankfurt (Frankfurt International Airport IATA: FRA ICAO :EDDF)
- Geneva (Geneva Cointrin International Airport IATA: GVA ICAO: LSGG)
- Istanbul (Atatürk International Airport IATA: IST ICAO: LTBA)
- Larnaca (Larnaca International Airport IATA: LCA ICAO: LCLK)
- London (London Heathrow International Airport IATA: LHR ICAO: EGLL)
- Milan (Malpensa International Airport IATA: MXP ICAO: LIMC)
- Rome (Leonardo da Vinci Airport Fuimicino International Airport IATA:FCO ICAO: LIRF)
- Paris (Charles De Gaulle International Airport IATA: CDG ICAO: LFPG)
- Nice (Côte d'Azur International Airport IATA: NCE ICAO: LFMN)
Below: An MEA Airbus A330-243
at BEY.
United Arab Emirates
- Abu Dhabi (Abu Dhabi International Airport IATA: AUH ICAO: OMAA)
- Dubai (Dubai International Airport IATA: DXB ICAO: OMDB)
- Amman (Queen Alia International Airport IATA: AMM ICAO: OJAI)
- Beirut (Rafic Hariri International Airport IATA: BEY ICAO: OLBA) (main hub)
- Cairo (Cairo International Aiport IATA: CAI ICAO: HECA)
- Sharm el-Sheikh (Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport IATA: SSH ICAO: HESH)
- Dammam (King Fahd International Airport IATA: DMM ICAO: OEDF)
- Jeddah (King Abdulaziz International Airport IATA: JED ICAO: OEJN)
- Riyadh (King Khalid International Airport IATA: RUH ICAO: OERK)
- Kuwait City (Kuwait International Airport IATA: KWI ICAO: OKBK)
Middle East
Qatar
- Doha (Doha International Airport IATA: DOH ICAO: OTBD)
- Khartoum (Khartoum International Airport IATA: KRT ICAO: HSSS)
Russia
- Moscow
- Madrid (Barajas International Airport IATA: MAD ICAO: LEMD)
- Zürich (Zürich Airport IATA: ZRH ICAO: LSZH)
