Middle East Airlines expansion underway

Lebanon's national carrier MEA is pressing ahead with the expansion of its current fleet.

According to the Beirut newspaper The Daily Star, Middle East Airlines’ chairman Hout said "We will get a new Airbus in January, two in February, two in March and one in May of this year," the chairman said.

MEA intends to have a fleet of 13 new Airbus aircraft.

The airline has also increased the frequency of flights to many destinations in the Middle East and Europe. And MEA plans to have a direct flight to Baghdad as of June.

Hout also reported a significant increase in the number of passengers to Beirut in the past few months. "Most of the foreign tourists who boarded MEA were from Jordan. There was also a significant number of Saudi nationals who travelled to Beirut in November and December," he said.