BEIRUT: A passenger flight landed at Beirut international airport on Thursday for the first time in five weeks, easing an air blockade of Lebanon that Israel imposed during its war with Hezbollah guerrillas.
An Israeli naval blockade remains in force. A Lebanese government source said the air and sea blockades would be lifted gradually after Prime Minister Fouad Siniora had sought international support to get the airport and ports reopened.
An airliner belonging to Middle East Airlines, Lebanon’s flag carrier, landed at 1:10 p.m. (1010 GMT) from Jordan's capital Amman. A Royal Jordanian flight was due to follow. Scheduled flights were expected to resume next week.
British Airways franchise partner BMED was sending a plane carrying humanitarian aid to Beirut. The airline said it hoped to resume services early next week, initially offering four flights a week to London. The airport shut on July 13 when Israel bombed its runways. During the 34-day war, Israel allowed only planes carrying humanitarian aid to land at the airport.
