Pilots file collective complaint; Lebanon launches safety audit
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According to Reuters, Lebanon's aviation regulator has launched a safety audit of Middle East Airlines. This comes after a group of pilots complained that pilots were being instructed to fly routes close to areas targeted by airstrikes and were being punished for reporting safety incidents.
Since the outbreak of the Middle East conflict in February, many foreign airlines have avoided most of the Middle East airspace due to the risks of missiles and drones. However, Middle East Airlines has maintained Lebanon's air links with the outside world, remaining uninterrupted despite war and financial collapse.
Middle East Airlines operates a fleet of approximately 20 aircraft, serving routes covering the Middle East, Europe, and West Africa.
During the regional conflict, Middle East Airlines' continued operation and support for a fragile economy increasingly reliant on remittances and tourism has earned it praise within Lebanon.
In response to the pilots' complaints, Middle East Airlines stated that it has a reliable and verified safety record, and all flights during the military conflict were based on risk assessments conducted jointly with the Lebanese government and the regulatory body, the Lebanese Civil Aviation Authority (LCAA).
However, since 2024, multiple Israeli airstrikes have landed near Lebanon's largest airport, raising concerns at the International Federation of Airline Pilots' Associations (IFALPA), particularly given precedents of civilian airliners being shot down in or near conflict zones.
Furthermore, the escalation of Israeli airstrikes against Lebanon this year has further exacerbated aviation safety concerns.
IFALPA President Ron Haye sent a letter to the Central Bank of Lebanon, which holds a majority stake in Middle East Airlines, on May 12.
In the letter, he wrote: "While some may consider flying civilian airliners and carrying passengers in high-risk and conflict zones under wartime conditions to be an act of heroism, we believe this involves taking on unacceptable moral hazard."
Middle East Airlines responded by stating: "The son of Middle East Airlines' chairman and the son of the director of the Lebanese Civil Aviation Authority are both captains for Middle East Airlines and have been flying throughout the conflict."
In a reply to IFALPA on May 15, the director of the Lebanese Civil Aviation Authority, Mohammed Aziz, stated that his team would conduct an aviation safety audit of Middle East Airlines and "engage in dialogue with Middle East Airlines to discuss relevant concerns." Middle East Airlines stated that the Lebanese Civil Aviation Authority's oversight activities conducted between May 18 and June 1 confirmed that the airline met "regulatory and operational safety requirements."
Aziz told Reuters that a debriefing meeting with Middle East Airlines was held this Monday, but the Lebanese Civil Aviation Authority's audit results are still being processed, and the Authority is "mediating between the pilots and Middle East Airlines."
