El-Hout warns that MEA's fleet renewal plans are put on hold
The director general of Middle East Airlines (MEA), Mohamad El-Hout, said at the IATA annual general meeting in Cape Town today, that its fleet renewal plans have been put on hold
The Lebanese flag-carrier had been “quite advanced” with its plans for the new fleet but "everything is stopped" while the latest regional security situation in Syria is resolved.
Middle East Airlines had been considering the Bombardier CSeries and the Airbus A319 as options for opening thinner routes, but El-Hout said the thinking process has been halted as it works to cope with the effects of Syrian tensions.
Lebanon has been dragged into the conflict and El-Hout said this has had a dramatic effect on the business-class traffic from the Gulf, in particular. Tourism numbers are also down. Despite this profitablilty has remained positived, the DG confirmed.
According to Flightglobal, MEA still plans to begin introducing 10 A320neo-family aircraft from 2018, initially replacing the airline's older A321s.
“Our A320 fleet is "still very new", El-Hout said.
The Beirut carrier is also bidding for a partnership with ‘embattled’ near neighbour Cyprus Airways, but El-Hout remained tight-lipped about prospects regarding that investment.
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