Increased Air Traffic to Lebanon Anticipated Prior to Sayyed Nasrallah Funeral

Lebanon is experiencing an increase in flights to Beirut in anticipation of the upcoming funeral of the late Hezbollah Secretary-Generals, Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah and Sayyed Hashem Safieddine.

A Beirut-based travel agency informed Al-Manar on Wednesday that all flights to the Lebanese capital are currently at full capacity, as the city prepares for a funeral ceremony set to take place on Sunday, February 23.

The Al-Ajouz travel agency has announced that flights from key cities, including Baghdad, Najaf, Amman, Istanbul, Cairo, Frankfurt, and Doha, to Beirut are fully booked for the upcoming weekend spanning Friday and Saturday.

According to footage supplied by Al-Ajouz Travel Agency, flights on Thursday from Cairo, Amman, Baghdad, Najaf to Beirut, as well as Istanbul, are approaching full capacity.

According to reports from the AFP news agency, industry insiders in the transportation sector have indicated that flights from Baghdad to Beirut are nearing full capacity for the week.

Iraqi Airways and Middle East Airlines have announced an expansion of their flight services between Baghdad and Beirut this week, enhancing their operational schedules on this route.

The Iraqi Transport Ministry’s spokesperson has announced that, due to increased demand from Iraqi travelers, Iraqi Airways will be increasing its daily flights to Beirut from one to two, effective February 20. This statement was reported by AFP.

He observed a notable increase in demand as the funeral date draws near.

An airline source has confirmed that all seats on its flights from Baghdad to Beirut have been completely booked.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation of Lebanon announced on Tuesday that operations at Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport will be temporarily halted on Sunday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. to accommodate a scheduled funeral.

The funeral service for Sayyed Nasrallah and Sayyed Safieddine, who were killed in recent Israeli airstrikes amid the ongoing conflict in Lebanon, is scheduled to take place at 1:00 PM on Sunday. The ceremony will be held at the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium in Beirut.

Preparations are underway in earnest at the stadium for the upcoming funeral service.

Dignitaries and representatives from 79 nations are set to participate in the funeral proceedings, which will feature an address by the incumbent Hezbollah Secretary General, Sheikh Naim Qassem. The ceremony will culminate in a procession leading to the burial site of Sayyed Nasrallah on the outskirts of Beirut.

Sayyed Saffiedine is set to be interred in his native village of Deir Qanoun Al-Nahr, located in the southern region of Lebanon.