René Moawad Kleyat airport
contract won by Sky Lounge

Three companies out of 18 passed the technical evaluation

A contract for the rehabilitation and operation of René Moawad Airport in Kleyat was awarded to Sky Lounge. Sky Lounge is part of the Monla Group which is headed by Ziad Monla.

The company won the tender after financial offers were opened by the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, 27 days after the launch of the tender which was mandated by the Council of Ministers on February 6 2026. The ministry had accelerated preparations for the project in early April by launching the tender process.

Three companies remained in the final round of bidding out of 18 firms that initially obtained the tender documents. Most applicants were excluded for failing to meet the technical and administrative requirements set out in the specifications.

LAT and Spot Jet Services were the two other bidders who qualified technically.

The four-year contract gains the State eight percent of net profit with a minimum guarantee of $200,000 per year. The contract winners will benefit from full exemption from fees for up to two years because they will construct a temporary building at their own expense and deliver it to the authority within a 90-day deadline.

The contract stipulates the obligations of the operator to include the construction and equipping of the building, its operation, and maintenance, including scanners, arrival and departure gates, security and customs counters, and electricity. The terminal area must be between 1,500 and 2,000 square meters capable to handle the terminal’s maximum capacity of 150 passengers per hour.

This contract covers the first phase of a two-step plan. The second phase consists of a Public Private Partnership (PPP) with consists of combining both Beirut and Kleyat airports under one company and expanding the facilities and services of both. This newly awarded contract can be terminated should the PPP phase becomes ready before four years.

Revenues to the contract winners include aircraft and passenger operating fees, and various commercial and service activities within the airport, such as operating restaurants and cafés, advertising, parking, passenger lounges, baggage handling, ground handling, aircraft refueling, in-flight catering, air cargo and freight services, and other services related to airport operations.

In a statement, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport described the opening of bids as a “milestone” toward reopening a second civilian airport after decades of inactivity. The ministry said the project is part of a broader strategy to strengthen the country’s aviation infrastructure, reduce pressure on Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport, and expand the operational capacity of civil aviation.

Last year, Dar Al-Handassah – Shair (DAR) was commissioned on a pro-bono basis to conduct a study for the reactivation of the airport, and deliver an initial master plan to guide the operational launch of the facility.

Officials also presented the project as a potential economic boost for northern Lebanon and the Akkar region. Authorities expect the airport to stimulate tourism, trade, and logistics activity while creating direct and indirect employment opportunities.

Originally built in the late 1930s, the airport later served as a military air base and briefly operated domestic civilian flights between 1988 and 1990 before commercial activity was suspended.