Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport (BEY)

Overview

Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport (BEY) is located in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, six miles (9km) from the city centre. The airport has one terminal, with four floors. The terminal has two wings that branch off from the main building. They are known as the East Wing and the West Wing. Although Beirut International Airport is the only airport in Lebanon, its facilities are somewhat limited. This is because the airport has had a limited number of passengers over the past decade or so, particularly when tensions with Israel have run high. However, as the country undergoes a tourism renaissance of sorts, Beirut International Airport is transforming itself into a suitably stress-free gateway to a laid-back holiday in Lebanon.

Location

The airport is situated five miles (8km) south of the city.

Getting to the city

Taxis: Taxis are available outside the arrivals hall. Be sure to agree on a price before getting into the taxi - the fare shouldn't be more than LBP 30,000 for a trip into downtown Beirut. A helpful tip: catching a taxi from outside the departures section of the airport can be significantly cheaper.

Bus: No official buses run between downtown Beirut and the airport. However, there are buses which travel to Charles Helou Bus Station, that can sometimes be found outside the departures section of the terminal building. Bus fares into town are generally LBP 750 (less than $1). Passengers arriving during the day can also walk from the airport to the nearest roundabout, and catch a minibus into town from there for LBP 2000 (less than $2).

Time

GMT +2 (GMT +3 from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October).

Contacts

Tel: +961 (0)1 628 195.

Car rental

Car rental companies located at the airport include Hala, Budget, Catrans, City Car, National, Avis, Europcar, Hertz and LenaCar. The car rental operators' desks can be found in the arrivals hall.

Airport Taxis

Taxis are available outside the arrivals hall. Be sure to agree on a price before getting into the taxi - the fare shouldn't be more than LBP 30,000 for a trip into downtown Beirut. A helpful tip: catching a taxi from outside the departures section of the airport can be significantly cheaper.

Transfer between terminals

Not applicable, as there is only one terminal.

Facilities

Money and communications: ATMs, currency exchange offices and a bank can be found within the terminal. Pay phones, a post office, and 15 internet kiosks are also available.

Luggage: A luggage wrapping service is available on the departures level. Lost baggage complaints are handled by the individual airlines.

Conference and business: Airline business lounges have telephone, internet and faxing facilities. The airport does not have conference facilities, but there are a number of hotels (such as the Movenpick Hotel and Resort and the Habtoor Grand Hotel) with adequate facilities, located within six miles (10km) of the airport.

Other facilities: Prayer rooms; first aid and emergency medical services; full access and facilities for disabled passengers.

Wi-Fi: There is definitely Wi-Fi internet access available at Beirut International Airport; however, whether or not you'll need to pay for this service is hard to tell. The airport's website - which hasn't been updated in a couple of years - gives conflicting information, stating on the same page that (i) Wi-Fi internet access is free for one hour out of 24 each day, and (ii) that in order to access the airport's Wi-Fi service, you'll first need to buy an Internet Card from one of the airport's duty-free shops. We're not sure what the current situation is, but if you do have to pay, it should cost US$5 for 30 minutes, and US$10 for 75 minutes.

Information: Passengers arriving at Beirut International Airport can find the Information Centre in the arrivals hall. Staff members are multilingual (generally speaking Arabic, French and English), but they can be a little terse at times.

Shopping: The main duty-free shopping area is located on the second floor of the terminal building, after check-in and passport control. Passengers will not need much time to make their way through all the airport's shops. There is a Virgin Megastore, a small shop selling Lebanese souvenirs, a newsstand, and a small duty-free shop selling tobacco, alcohol, cosmetics and perfume.

Food and Drink: Like the shopping options, dining choices at Beirut International Airport are quite limited. Passengers eager for a pre-flight snack should try to eat before checking-in. There are a number of cafés and restaurants open to the public, which are located on the ground floor of the terminal building. The departures level has a couple of snack bars, and there is a Lebanese restaurant on the third floor of the terminal building.

Parking

Parking for 2,350 cars is available at the airport. The parking area is connected to the terminal by an underground walkway. Parking rates start at LBP 3,500 for an hour, and go up to LBP 18,000 per day.

Departure Tax

Since 2008, all departure taxes levied at Beirut International Airport have been included in ticket prices.

Website

www.beirutairport.gov.lb

Airlines

A wide range of airlines offer flights to Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport, including European airlines such as Lufthansa, Air France, LOT Polish Airways, Alitalia, Bulgaria Air and Czech Airways. Low-cost carriers such as bmi, Flydubai, Edelweiss Air and Pegasus Air provide cheap flights to Beirut International. Middle East Airlines flies from Beirut to Paris, Rome, London Heathrow, Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Istanbul, as well as many other destinations.

Internet

Wi-Fi internet access is available at Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport.

Business Lounges

Airline business lounges have telephone, internet and faxing facilities. The airport does not have conference facilities, but there are a number of nearby hotels (such as the Movenpick Hotel and Resort and the Habtoor Grand Hotel) that do.

Beirut International Airport Taxis: the taxi fares above are intended as a guideline only.