Beirut Airport Stays Open Amid Chaos

0:00It's March 31st. This is Sydney News today, powered by AI. I'm Cory with the story. Beirut's Rafiq Hariri Airport stays open as the only gateway out of Lebanon, even with Israeli strikes pounding nearby suburbs, targeting Hezbollah. Spots. Smoke rises over the city, but planes keep landing and taking off from this key hub in the capital south. Land borders with Israel and Syria are off limits amid the chaos, making the airport vital for people and aid. Captain Muhammad Aziz, head of Lebanon's Civil Aviation Authority, calls it a point of pride. Lebanon has run this airport through wars dating back to 1967, including the Civil War of to 1990, and clashes in two. 2006 and 2024. This round feels more organized, he says, thanks to US promises that Israel won't bomb the runway like before. Passengers push through anyway, gripped by fear, but tied to home. Families trickle in to greet arrivals in a terminal that's dead quiet, running a just 30% of

1:02normal traffic. Most airlines cancel flights, especially to go spots hit by Iranian retaliation, leaving halls empty and folks anxious about what's next. Flights now douse the south by looping in from the north over the Mediterranean, sometimes circling while strikes happen below. A national carrier jet from Paris held pattern until the path cleared, then touched down safe. Closures in Israeli and Syrian airspace force detours, like the long haul from Jordan, via the Red Sea and Sinai. Lebanon's knack for keeping skies open shines through the turmoil, a lifeline holding steady as the region braces for more uncertainty.