Air France plans to resume its direct flights between Paris and Beirut from Saturday, September 26, 2026, after several months of security disruptions in the Near and Middle East. The French company had suspended its service to Lebanon in the context of the regional conflict and repeatedly extended the interruption. The announced return of Air France occurs while the traffic at Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut remains significantly lower than in 2025.
Air France plans to return to Beirut Saturday
Air France flights to Lebanon are now scheduled to resume on Saturday, 26 September. The company must thus re-establish its liaison with Beirut after a long period of interruption.
However, this recovery remains linked to the changing security situation in the region. As in previous interruptions, the program can be adjusted if the geopolitical situation or overflight conditions change.
Air France continuously monitors the situation in the territories served and in the airspace borrowed by its aircraft. The company places the safety of its passengers and crews at the centre of its decisions regarding the resumption or suspension of a destination.
The restoration of Beirut does not mean a complete return to normal on the entire regional network of the French company. Air France currently maintains restrictions on certain other destinations in the Middle East.
Flights to and from Riyadh must remain suspended until 28 September inclusive. Those concerning Dubai are suspended until 13 October inclusive. Tel-Aviv, however, normally operates according to the latest information available.
The Beirut decision is therefore a specific development in the Air France regional programme.
Transavia to resume flights as of 25 September
The return of the Air France-KLM group to Lebanon must start a day earlier with Transavia. The low cost company plans to resume its connections with Beirut on Friday, 25 September.
The two carriers would thus re-establish their operations to Lebanon 24 hours apart: Transavia Friday, then Air France Saturday.
This recovery is particularly important for links between Lebanon and France. France hosts a large Lebanese community and is one of the main European markets for travel from and to Beirut.
Paris also plays a role as a correspondence platform. The return of Air France does not therefore concern only travellers whose final destination is the French capital. The Paris-Charles de Gaulle network allows connections to many European and intercontinental destinations.
The re-establishment of the two companies therefore increases the possibilities of travel between Lebanon and Europe after several months marked by a reduced international offer.
Extended suspension since February 2026
The last long interruption of the group’s liaison with Beirut began on 28 February 2026, in the context of a sharp deterioration in the situation in the Middle East.
At that time, the American-Israeli strikes against Iran caused significant disruptions in regional air traffic. Several airspaces had been closed or restricted, forcing international airlines to change their programmes and routes.
Air France had suspended its services from Beirut, Tel Aviv, Dubai and Riyadh. In its programme for the summer of 2026, published in March, the company still indicated that these interruptions were maintained due to the regional crisis and restrictions on certain airspace.
The suspension of Beirut was subsequently extended several times.
In July, Air France again confirmed the interruption of its flights to the Lebanese capital due to the security situation. The company then indicated that the resumption of operations would depend on a further assessment of the conditions on the ground.
This caution explains the successive postponements observed during the year. A date for the resumption of air transport is still likely to change rapidly when the safety of operations depends directly on the development of a conflict.
Paris-Beirut link regularly disturbed
Air France’s service to Lebanon has seen several interruptions since the worsening of regional tensions in 2024.
The company had suspended its flights to Beirut in late July 2024 in the face of military escalation in the Middle East. Several extensions followed before different phases of recovery.
Air France had re-established its Paris-Beirut flight on 1 February 2025, with five weekly flights announced at that time. The company’s return was one of the signs of a gradual normalization of Lebanon’s international service.
The year 2026 again interrupted this dynamic.
These successive suspensions illustrate the dependence of Lebanese air traffic on the regional security situation. International airlines take into account not only the conditions in Lebanon, but also the conditions in the airspace through which they fly.
Closure of airspace or increased risk on certain routes can impose detours, increase flight times and costs or lead to a complete suspension.
A return expected as air traffic declines
The upcoming takeover of Air France takes place in a difficult context for Rafic Hariri International Airport.
Between January and August 2026, 3,581,861 travellers were registered, a decrease of 24.17 per cent compared to the same period of 2025.
Arrivals reached 1,814,097 passengers over eight months, down 26.57 per cent over one year. Departures totalled 1,766,630 passengers, a decrease of 21.54%.
However, summer has improved. In August, Beirut airport recorded 835,903 passengers. Activity increased by 15.78% compared to July.
The August traffic, however, remained 10.04 per cent lower than in the same month of 2025. This difference shows that the summer recovery has not yet compensated for the disturbances accumulated since the beginning of the year.
The return of a large European airline like Air France can help gradually restore the offer of seats to Lebanon. However, its effect will depend on the frequencies actually programmed and especially on the stability of the service in the coming weeks.
The return of foreign companies remains gradual
The aviation situation in the Middle East remains mixed. Since the major disruptions in early 2026, several companies have gradually re-established certain routes, while others maintain suspensions to destinations considered more sensitive.
Decisions are not consistent. Each carrier shall conduct its own risk assessment taking into account the recommendations of the authorities, overflight conditions, insurance and crew safety.
The return of Air France to Beirut must therefore be placed in this progressive movement rather than in a general and immediate normalisation of regional traffic.
For Lebanon, the continuity of international links is a particularly important issue. The country relies heavily on air transport for its international passenger movements. Land routes offer few alternatives and maritime transport is not a comparable substitute for passengers.
The presence of large foreign companies also plays on the possibilities of correspondence. It expands the choices available to travellers and increases the capacity between Beirut and major international hubs.
A recovery still conditioned on the regional situation
On two days from the date announced, the re-establishment of the Paris-Beirut route is therefore the main change in the Air France programme for Lebanon.
Passengers affected by previous cancellations were contacted individually by the company. The suspension periods were also accompanied by options for modification or postponement.
For passengers who have booked a trip in the next few days, checking the status of the flight remains necessary prior to departure. Programs can still evolve rapidly according to operational and security conditions.
If the announced schedule is maintained, Transavia must open this new phase Friday, September 25, before the return of Air France to Beirut on Saturday, September 26. The continuity of these flights beyond their recovery will now be the main indicator of a lasting stabilisation of the link between France and Lebanon.
