Some flight routes into Beirut for the Christmas and New Year period were already sold out by November 9, more than a month earlier than last year, as Lebanese living abroad rush to lock in seats home for the holidays.
According to Jean Abboud, president of the Syndicate of Owners of Travel and Tourism Agencies in Lebanon, bookings have reached 100% on several routes. Airlines are now looking to add extra flights to handle the demand.
Seven Routes Already at Capacity
The fully booked routes include flights from London, Paris, Dubai, Riyadh, Jeddah, Madrid and Athens. That list covers Europe and the Gulf, two regions with some of the largest Lebanese communities outside the country.
Dubai has the clearest plan for extra capacity so far. Around 10 additional flights from Dubai to Beirut are planned between December 20 and December 30, the busiest stretch of the holiday calendar.
A Booking Rush Five Weeks Ahead of Schedule
Last year, holiday flights only reached full capacity in mid-December. This year, some routes hit that point before mid-November, giving travellers who waited far fewer options for the peak dates.
For anyone still without a ticket, the planned extra flights may be the main way home at the end of December. Travel agents expect the added seats to fill quickly once they go on sale.
What a Full Arrivals Hall Means for Local Business
December is one of the most important months of the year for Lebanon's hospitality and retail sectors. Expatriates coming home spend on restaurants, hotels, car rentals, shopping and family gatherings, and much of that spending arrives in foreign currency.
An earlier booking season gives restaurants, hotels, venues and event organisers more time to plan stock, staffing and holiday programming. Businesses that rely on the season will be tracking how many of the planned extra flights are confirmed.
For now, the added capacity is focused on the Dubai route between December 20 and 30, when the largest wave of arrivals is expected.
