The General Directorate of Civil Aviation addressed "the information circulated by some media outlets and social media regarding safety standards at Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport." It clarified that "the visit by a joint team from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport between June 12 and 16 was a coordinated support mission within the 'No Country Left Behind' program, presented by ICAO in coordination with other organizations to assist its contracting states."
The directorate noted that "the report from the joint team indicated a shortage of air traffic controllers at the airport, a situation that many global airports are currently facing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to a severe shortage of personnel in the aviation sector." It emphasized that it is "fully coordinating with ICAO to begin training new controllers to gradually compensate for the shortage as many current controllers reach retirement age, all in accordance with the standards and criteria set by the organization."
Furthermore, it confirmed that "the scheduling of air traffic controllers at Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport is aligned with the volume of air traffic while ensuring the safety standards of air navigation." It also reiterated "its commitment to applying the highest safety standards recognized by global airports, in accordance with ICAO recommendations."
