Public Works and Transport Minister in the caretaker government, Dr. Ali Hamieh, and Industry Minister George Bouchikian, accompanied by the Chairman of Middle East Airlines Mohammed El Hout and the Director General of Civil Aviation, engineer Fadi Hassan, visited the training and conference center affiliated with Middle East Airlines to review the training sections for pilots, cabin crew, and technical training for aircraft maintenance.
In his speech, Hamieh confirmed that "the center enjoys global technical expertise and is one of the distinguished centers in the Middle East and competes at the global level, containing equipment of the highest available technologies." He pointed out that "this center has previously hosted pilot, cabin crew, and technician trainees from all the surrounding Arab countries and around the world," emphasizing that "this center is a welcoming hub for anyone wishing to enhance their expertise in the field of aviation."
After the tour, El Hout welcomed the ministers and their visit to the Middle East Airlines center, noting that "Minister Hamieh wanted to give his visit a national dimension by highlighting the components of this center, which is not strange for him, as we can see his drive and achievements, perhaps the latest being his project to rebuild the Port of Beirut." He stated: "This center is at the service of all ministries, official institutions, and commercial companies."
For his part, Hamieh stated that "the primary goal of this visit is to highlight our facilities and our core companies in the country," considering that "after three years of the coronavirus crisis and its negative effects, we today, like other countries worldwide, are working to reactivate our public facilities and restore the existing companies like Middle East Airlines."
He added: "Yesterday we were at Rafic Hariri International Airport, which was resilient against the Israeli war machine. The training center we are in today was destroyed, and its equipment was stolen by this enemy during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982, as it was a center equipped with important equipment and human expertise comparable to what exists in the Western world. However, despite that, the enemy who stole its equipment could not steal the Lebanese minds present here."
He continued: "During our visit to the center, we saw ages ranging from eighteen to sixty years," emphasizing that "the Lebanese human element with its creative mind is what we rely on, and it is what rebuilt this center, making it one of the distinguished centers in the Middle East and globally, in addition to being a hub for students and cabin crew from around the world."
He added: "At the level of the Lebanese government, we have been and continue to work together with all the friendly Arab countries and the whole world," confirming that "this center is a welcoming hub for anyone wanting to enhance their expertise in the field of aviation."
He addressed the oil-for-services agreement with Iraq, considering that "the most attractive aspect for the Iraqi delegation that visited Lebanon recently during its meetings with President Mikati and other ministers was this training center, through its provision of services in exchange for Iraqi fuel, which has thankfully rescued Lebanon from total darkness."
He concluded hoping that "the center and Middle East Airlines remain a shining beacon for Lebanon," expressing his "pride in the center and the company, assuring that we take pride in being ambassadors for this center on both Arab and international levels."
Bouchikian, for his part, expressed his pride in this center, congratulating the Lebanese state and the Lebanese people "for this achievement and this gem at Beirut Airport," noting that from a young age he has been attached to Middle East Airlines, which has managed to thrive despite all circumstances. He pointed out that "the company has always been a point of trust for us, having surpassed crises whether during the war or even when the airport was bombed by the Israeli enemy, but the Lebanese pilot maintained his imprint and creativity in all fields despite all that."
He continued: "I take pride when I see the Lebanese Cedar standing in airports around the world, which gives us faith in Lebanon and reinforces our conviction that it is a strong and cohesive country and that the Lebanese will overcome all crises and land safely."
Bouchikian also addressed the issue of the Iraqi oil for services, calling for "benefiting from the expertise available in this center, which is of international level and equipped with the latest unique technologies in the Middle East in addition to the human resources we take pride in," urging Iraq and all Arab countries in the region to benefit from its expertise and qualifications.
