Middle East Airlines

Middle East Airlines طيران الشرق الأوسط
IATA code :	ME
ICAO code :	MEA
Call sign :	CEDAR JET
Founding:	1945
Seat:	Beirut , Lebanon
Turnstile :	Beirut airport
Home airport :	Beirut airport
IATA prefix code :	076
Management:	Mohamad El-Hout ( CEO )
Passenger volume:	4,256,234
Alliance :	SkyTeam
Frequent Flyer Program :	Cedar Miles
Fleet size:	18 (+ 14 orders)
Aims:	National and international
Website:	www.mea.com.lb

Middle East Airlines - Air Liban ( Arabic طيران الشرق الأوسط Tayarān asch-Scharq al-ausat , DMG Ṭayarān aš-šarq al-awsaṭ , briefly also MEA ) is the national airline of Lebanon , based in Beirut and based at Beirut Airport . She is a member of the Arab Air Carriers Organization and the SkyTeam aviation alliance .

history

Air Liban

Air Liban was founded in April 1945 as Compagnie Générale de Transports - CGT (or CGDT) . It initially operated Junkers Ju 52 . Douglas DC-3s were soon added. In 1947 the route network already included destinations in Europe and especially Africa. In Europe, Marseille, Lyon and Paris were offered due to traditionally close connections with France. In 1951 the company name was changed to Air Liban.

Like most Ju 52s, three four-engine medium -haul aircraft of the Sud-Est SE.161 Languedoc type were taken over by Air France in 1953 . Various British companies acquired five used Avro Yorks from 1953 to 1955 , two Douglas DC-4s were added in June 1954 and three Douglas DC-6s from 1957 to 1958 .

In 1961 and 1962, one Sud Aviation Caravelle was rented from Air France and the Belgian Sabena and operated with Lebanese aircraft registration numbers. These modern jet aircraft were first used to Rome and Paris. In the last flight planning period in 1963, before the merger with Middle East Airlines, Caravelle also served Jeddah, Khartoum, Doha, Cairo and Kuwait, as well as Douglas DC-3 Aleppo and DC-4 Nicosia and Jerusalem. The DC-6s were also used to Cairo and Jerusalem and via Khartoum, Kano, Lagos and Abidjan to Monrovia-Robertsfield ( Liberia ).

Middle East Airlines

Middle East Airlines - MEA , founded in 1945, began with the first flight routes between Beirut and Syria , Cyprus and Egypt, and later to Saudi Arabia , Kuwait and the Gulf region . Like a large part of airlines after the Second World War, flight operations began with the use of Douglas DC-3s , thousands of former military transporters of which were cheap as used copies on the market.

Between 1945 and 1947, MEA flights from Beirut were the preferred mode of transport for Zionist politicians from Palestine such as David Ben Gurion and Moshe Scharett , who had been banned from flights from Palestinian territory by the British military government. In the 1950s, the MEA was the joint regional airline of Pan Am and the BOAC , which equipped the MEA with aircraft. Hence the name of the company. During this time, Beirut was the regional hub for flights to the entire Middle East, especially to the Gulf region.

After purchasing a single Bristol 170 , a number of Avro York , Handley Page Hermes and Vickers Viscount aircraft were added to the fleet in 1955 . In addition to the Near and Middle East, the Viscounts were also deployed to Europe, including Frankfurt, Zurich and Vienna. The Avro York were used for cargo flights to Athens, Rome, Milan, Basel and London as well as in the Middle East. In 1960 Pakistan and India were added to the route network.

From 1961 the first jet aircraft were added with de Havilland DH.106 Comet and Boeing 720 .

In the last flight planning period in 1963, before the merger with Air Liban, Comet outside the Middle East served Frankfurt, Geneva, London and Rome as well as Karachi and Bombay, while Vienna, Athens, Cairo, Nicosia and Jerusalem continued to be served by Viscount. The elderly DC-3 was also used in Aleppo.

Middle East Airlines - Air Liban

Boeing 747-200 of the MEA in 1984

After the merger with Air Liban on June 7, 1963, the full name was Middle East Airlines - Air Liban . In the same year MEA also took over Lebanese International Airways . The route network expanded to other destinations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In November 1965 "Air Liban" was deleted from the name again.

On 28/29 December 1968, Israeli commandos landed at Beirut airport and blew up 14 planes from various Lebanese airlines, including 8 MEA machines ( see under total losses due to acts of war ).

During the Lebanese civil war from 1975 to 1990, Beirut airport was closed several times. During this time, the company repeatedly leased aircraft and personnel to other airlines. After that, regular operations could be resumed.

Airbus A320-200 of the MEA

Airbus A321-200 of the MEA

From 1998, the company had to undergo a major restructuring to a loss of 87 million US dollars in 1997 to a profit of 22 million (2003) and 50 million (2004) to convert.

On July 13, 2006, Beirut Airport was hit by Israeli rockets in the wake of the Israel-Lebanon crisis . The three runways suffered severe damage, which is why the airport was temporarily closed. Nevertheless, the MEA managed to evacuate five of its aircraft via a taxiway . In the same year, so-called self-service check-in machines were opened at Beirut Airport. Furthermore, the regional flight alliance Arabesk Airline Alliance was founded with six other Arab airlines and in the summer of 2006 between 10% and 20% of the company shares were placed on the Beirut stock exchange as part of a long-term strategy to completely privatize the company.

On June 28, 2012, Middle East Airlines joined the airline alliance SkyTeam , which was announced in January 2011.

Destinations

MEA operates a network at numerous destinations in Europe , Africa and the Middle East . In German-speaking countries are currently Frankfurt and Geneva served.

fleet

Comet 4C of the MEA in 1963

Sud Aviation Caravelle of the MEA in 1968

Convair CV-990 of the MEA in 1970

Current fleet

As of March 2020, the Middle East Airlines fleet consists of 18 aircraft with an average age of 8.8 years:

Aircraft type	number	ordered	Remarks	Seats ( Business / Economy )
Airbus A320-200	13		3 equipped with sharklets ; T7-MRD in SkyTeam special livery	126 (24/102)
Airbus A320neo		5		- open -
Airbus A321neo		5		- open -
Airbus A330-200	5			244 (44/200)
Airbus A330-900		4th	+ 2 options	- open -
total	18th	14th

Former aircraft types

In the past, Middle East Airlines operated the following types of aircraft:

• Airbus A300-600
• Airbus A310-200 / 300
• Airbus A321-200
• Avro York
• Boeing 707
• Boeing 720
• Boeing 747-100 / 200
• Bristol 170 Freighter
• Convair CV-990
• De Havilland Comet 4
• Douglas DC-3 / C-47
• SNCASE SE.161 Languedoc
• Sud Aviation Caravelle
• Vickers VC10
• Vickers Viscount

Incidents

From 1948 to October 2018, Middle East Airlines suffered 27 total aircraft losses. In 4 of them 236 people were killed. Of the total losses, however, 20 were due to acts of war, with one person perishing. Examples:

Total losses in connection with flight operations

• On January 6, 1954, a Sud-Est SE.161 Languedoc ( aircraft registration OD-ABU ) of Air Liban fell off the runway at Beirut airport when taking off for Kuwait due to an engine failure, with the chassis collapsing and the machine burned out. All five crew members and four passengers survived.

• On September 29, 1958, an Avro York of the MEA (OD-ADB) disappeared without a trace over the Mediterranean Sea on a cargo flight from Beirut Airport to Rome-Ciampino . All five crew members have been missing since then.

• On May 27, 1960, an Avro York C.1 of Air Liban (OD-ACD) crashed while taking off from Tehran-Mehrabad airport ( Iran ). All inmates survived. The aircraft was totaled. Further details are not known.

• On February 1, 1963, a Vickers 754D Viscount of the MEA (OD-ADE) collided with a Douglas DC-3 / C-47A-80-DL (CBK-28) operated by the Turkish Air Force over the city of Ankara. The Viscount was approaching Ankara-Esenboğa Airport . The planes crashed into various parts of the city, including a very busy market square. In addition to all 17 people on board the two aircraft (14 in the Viscount, 3 in the DC-63), 87 people died on the ground.

• On April 17, 1964, a Sud Aviation Caravelle III of the MEA (OD-AEM) flew into the sea 19 kilometers south-southeast on the approach to Dhahran Airport ( Saudi Arabia ). During a sandstorm, the nocturnal approach had a visibility of 900 m. All 49 inmates were killed.

• On April 21, 1964, part of the taxiway collapsed under a Vickers Viscount 754D of the MEA (OD-ACX) while taxiing at the Egyptian airport El Arisch . The damage to the hull, propellers and engines was irreparable. People were not harmed.

• On January 9, 1968, a Boeing 720 operated by Ethiopian Airlines (ET-AAG) , which was leased from MEA, landed hard on the nose landing gear at Beirut Airport . There was heavy rain and wind gusts of up to 45 knots. The nose landing gear collapsed; there was a fire which ultimately destroyed the machine. All 49 inmates were unharmed.

• On January 1, 1976, a bomb exploded in the front luggage compartment of a Boeing 720 operated by MEA (OD-AFT) on a flight from Beirut to Dubai . The plane crashed into the desert 37 kilometers northwest of Qaisumah, Saudi Arabia , killing all 81 occupants.

Total losses through acts of war

On the night of December 28-29, 1968, Israeli commandos landed at Beirut airport and blew up 14 planes from various, mostly Lebanese airlines, including 8 MEA machines, as well as fuel dumps in retaliation for a Palestinian attack on an Israeli plane on December 26th December 1968 in Athens.

In detail, the following Middle East Airlines aircraft were destroyed or irreparably damaged in this action:

• 1 × Boeing 707 ( aircraft registration OD-AFC)
• 3 × De Havilland Comet 4 (OD-ADQ, OD-ADR, OD-ADS)
• 2 × Sud Aviation Caravelle (OD-AEE, OD-AEF)
• 1 × Vickers Viscount (OD-ACT)
• 1 × Vickers VC10 (9G-ABP , rented from Ghana Airways ).

In addition to the commando operation in 1968, several aircraft were destroyed on the ground at Beirut Airport in 1976, 1981, 1982, 1985 and 1987 through acts of war or individual acts of terrorism:

Boeing 707 OD-AFP of the MEA, destroyed on June 12, 1982 during the armed conflict in Beirut

• On June 27, 1976, a Boeing 720 ( OD-AGE) was destroyed by fire with rockets and grenades shortly after the passengers had disembarked.

• On August 31, 1981, shortly after arriving from Libya, an explosive charge containing around 5 kilograms of dynamite exploded on board the Boeing 720 OD-AFR . The plane was destroyed.

• On June 12, 1982, an MEA Boeing 720 (OD-AFP) was destroyed by Israeli shelling with grenades.

• On June 16, 1982, four MEA aircraft were destroyed by Israeli shell fire. The aim was to prevent PLO members remaining in Beirut from escaping through the airport. The following aircraft were affected:
  • One Boeing 707 (OD-AFB) , three Boeing 720 (OD-AFU, OD-AFW, OD-AGR) .

• On August 1, 1982, a Boeing 720 (OD-AGG) was destroyed in a bomb attack.

• On June 1, 1983, a Boeing 720 (OD-AFO) was destroyed by fire with grenades.

• On August 21, 1985, the Boeing 720 OD-AFL and OD-AGQ were destroyed by fire with grenades.

• On January 8, 1987, a Boeing 707 (OD-AHB) was destroyed by shelling with grenades shortly after landing.

See also

• List of airlines

Web links

Commons : Middle East Airlines  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Middle East Airlines website (Arabic, English, French)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Airline Timetable Images , accessed on February 5, 2020.
2. ↑ Timetable Images, route map 1947 (English), accessed on February 5, 2020.
3. ↑ rzjets: Compagnie Generale de Transports, Air Liban (English), accessed on February 5, 2020.
4. ↑ Timetable Images, flight plan 1961 (English), accessed on February 5, 2020.
5. ↑ Timetable Images, flight plan 1963 (English), accessed on February 5, 2020.
6. ↑ Timetable Images MEA, flight plan 1957 (English), accessed on February 5, 2020.
7. ↑ rzjets: Middle East Airlines (English), accessed on February 5, 2020.
8. ↑ Timetable Images MEA, flight plan 1963 (English), accessed on February 5, 2020.
9. ^ Aviation Safety Network - Report List 1968/3 (English), accessed on November 9, 2015
10. ↑ airliners.de - MEA Middle East joins SkyTeam January 19, 2011
11. ↑ skyteam.com - Middle East Airlines Joins SkyTeam, June 28, 2012 (English)
12. ↑ fltmaps.com - Middle East Airlines Map , accessed July 30, 2016
13. ^ MEA - Middle East Airlines Fleet Details and History. In: planespotters.net. Retrieved March 24, 2020 . 
14. ↑ Airbus - Orders and Deliveries , accessed on June 30, 2016.
15. ↑ MEA orders four A330-900s , accessed on December 13, 2018
16. ↑ mea.com.lb - MEA Fleet , accessed July 30, 2016.
17. ^ Ulrich Klee and Frank Bucher et al .: jp airline-fleets international . Zurich Airport 1966 to 2007.
18. ↑ Accident Statistics Middle East Airlines - MEA , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on November 6, 2018.
19. ^ Accident report Languedoc OD-ABU , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on February 5, 2020.
20. ^ Accident report Avro York OD-ADB , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on November 6, 2018.
21. ^ Accident report Avro York OD-ACD , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on February 5, 2020.
22. ^ Accident report of the collision over Ankara on February 1, 1963, Viscount OD-ADE , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on July 27, 2018.
23. ^ Accident report of the collision over Ankara on February 1, 1963, DC-3 CBK-28 , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on July 27, 2018.
24. ^ Accident report Caravelle III OD-AEM , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on November 6, 2018.
25. ↑ Accident report Viscount 754D OD-ACX , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on November 13, 2018.
26. ^ Accident report B-720 ET-AAG , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on November 13, 2018.
27. ^ Accident report B-720 OD-AFT , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on November 6, 2018.
28. ↑ Aviation Safety Network - report list 1968/3: see 28-DEC-1968 (English), accessed on November 12, 2018
29. ^ Accident report B-720 OD-AGE , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on November 13, 2018.
30. ^ Accident report B-720 OD-AFR , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on November 13, 2018.
31. ^ Accident report B-720 OD-AFP , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on November 13, 2018.
32. ^ Accident report B-707 OD-AFB , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on November 13, 2018.
33. ^ Accident report B-720 OD-AFU , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on November 13, 2018.
34. ^ Accident report B-720 OD-AFW , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on November 13, 2018.
35. ^ Accident report B-720 OD-AGR , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on November 13, 2018.
36. ^ Accident report B-720 OD-AGG , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on November 13, 2018.
37. ^ Accident report B-720 OD-AFO , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on November 13, 2018.
38. ^ Accident report B-720 OD-AFL , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on November 13, 2018.
39. ^ Accident report B-720 OD-AGQ , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on November 13, 2018.
40. ^ Accident report B-707 OD-AHB , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on November 13, 2018.