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MEA Reserves 5 Aircraft In Turkey As Conflict Precaution
Flights continue as normal, but Middle East Airlines staff are on standby in case more of the fleet needs to be relocated.
Lebanese carrier Middle East Airlines (MEA) has chosen to relocate 5 of its 24 aircraft to Turkey as hostilities mount in Israel and Gaza.
So far, scheduled flights have not been affected by heightened regional tensions, despite Palestinian militants from Hamas clashing with IDF forces in what is now the deadliest conflict since 2006.
A spokesperson from MEA said the planes had been moved to Istanbul airport over the weekend and would remain there for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, the remaining 19 aircraft in the fleet are operating normally.
Middle East Airlines staff are also on standby to implement an emergency plan to move the rest of the airliners if the situation worsens.
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“It’s a plan in case of an emergency. God willing, we won’t need it,” explained the MEA spokesperson.
Back in 2006, the Lebanese carrier diverted all its planes from Beirut airport at the start of the month-long 2006 war, which was responsible for the deaths of 1,200 Lebanese citizens. The airport was later bombed, rendering it inoperable.