Beirut: Public Works and Transport Minister, Fayez Rasamny, stated that the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MoPWT) acted promptly following the ceasefire to reopen essential transport routes and maintain the operation of key public facilities, notably Beirut airport and the port, to ensure the continuity of supply chains for food, medicine, and fuel.
According to National news agency - Lebanon, According to National News Agency, Rasamny mentioned that ministry teams commenced field operations at 3 a.m. on the first day of the ceasefire in collaboration with the Lebanese army and UNIFIL. He highlighted that authorities reopened major routes in southern Lebanon, including the Qasmiyeh Bridge, the Burj Rahhal highway, and the Khardali road connecting Nabatieh and Marjayoun, along with several internal and main roads throughout southern Lebanon.
Rasamny also pointed out that ongoing Israeli strikes had continuously damaged roads that had already been cleared by ministry teams, making permanent repairs challenging. He reported extensive damage to roads and bridges, particularly in the south, such as the February 6 Bridge, Qaaqaaiyet al-Jisr, Knaissat, Qasmiyeh, and the Burj Rahhal axis.
In terms of air traffic, Rasamny reported a significant rise in arrivals at Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport after the ceasefire. The average daily arrivals increased from 2,415 passengers in April to 3,630 during the first six days of May, marking a 50.3% increase.
Rasamny further noted that between May 1 and May 6, arrivals outnumbered departures by 1,437 passengers, in contrast to April when departures exceeded arrivals by 6,455 passengers. The Minister attributed this recovery to the return of several airlines, including Air Arabia, Jazeera Airways, Emirates, EgyptAir, Turkish Airlines, Etihad Airways, Air France, Aegean Airlines, Transavia, Qatar Airways, Royal Jordanian, Iraqi Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Kuwait Airways, and Cyprus Airways.
Regarding the Ren© Moawad Airport in Qlayaat, Rasamny announced that bids for its operation would be opened on May 19, followed by technical and administrative evaluations. He stated that the selected operator would have 90 days to construct a passenger terminal and refurbish operational infrastructure to prepare the airport for commercial flights in compliance with international civil aviation standards.
Rasamny concluded by affirming that the government has successfully set Qlayaat airport on the path to reopening after more than three decades of inactivity.