Rafik Hariri Airport Handles 835,576 Passengers in August, Down 10% YoY

Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport registered its strongest passenger and flight activity of 2026 in August, surpassing all prior months this year on both metrics.

Nonetheless, the figures remained below those achieved in August 2025.

This gap reflects Lebanon’s ongoing security, political, financial, and social conditions — challenges that have persisted for years and continue to affect all facets of daily life in the country.

August 2026 Passenger Totals

A total of 835,576 passengers used the airport during August 2026, compared with 929,815 in August 2025 — a decline of 10%. Arrivals into Lebanon numbered 369,972, down approximately 7% year-on-year. Departures stood at 465,586, representing a 12.5% decrease. Transit passenger volume fell by 25%, reaching just 18 individuals.

Flight Operations in August

Commercial airlines — both Lebanese and foreign — operated 6,036 flights at the airport in August 2026, a 9% reduction from the same month last year. Of these, 3,017 were arrivals and 3,019 were departures.

Monthly Trend Since July

Passenger traffic began rising in July 2026, when the airport served 722,043 travelers. That increase continued into August, pushing the monthly total to 835,576.

Year-to-Date Cumulative Figures

Through the end of August 2026, 3,571,338 passengers had used Rafik Hariri International Airport. In the corresponding period of 2025, the figure stood at 4,080,038 — a year-on-year drop of 25.6%.