Flying Above the Bombs, a Lebanese Airline Becomes an Unlikely National Hero

It used to be like almost any other national carrier, fielding gripes about flight delays, ticket prices and bad food.

But since Israel’s recent invasion of Lebanon to battle Hezbollah, Middle East Airlines has been elevated to an unexpected national hero — its planes taking off and landing only hundreds of yards away from the bombings rocking Beirut.

Israeli bombs have taken out the top leaders of Hezbollah, Lebanon’s powerful Iran-backed militant group. Israel’s military has flattened entire Lebanese districts. And through it all, the airline, known to locals by the abbreviation MEA, has continued flying, sometimes just minutes after bombs have pummeled the road leading to Beirut’s international airport. It is the only commercial airline still operating in and out of Lebanon.

In a country hollowed out by corrupt leaders, with no army strong enough to defend it, MEA has become a source of pride for a population with few champions left to cheer.

Local news channels have broadcast music videos paying tribute to the airline. Officials heap it with praise. And even as some passengers complain of soaring prices, countless accounts on Lebanese social media have waxed lyrical.