In 1945, Middle East Airlines was established and launched its first service from Beirut to the neighboring cities of Syria, Cyprus, Egypt then Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and other destinations in the Gulf. In 1963, after the merger with Air Liban, MEA added new European, Middle Eastern and West African destinations to its worldwide network.
Despite closure of Beirut International Airport during Lebanon’s civil war between 1975 and 1990, MEA managed to survive by leasing aircrafts and seconding staff to international airline companies. With the return to normality in 1990, MEA succeeded in reinstating service to all its previous destinations, strengthened and improved its network to Europe, Middle East and the Gulf.
From 1998 to 2002, MEA implemented its largest restructuring ever, turning around the company from huge annual losses reaching 87 Million dollars in 1997 to achieve a net profit of 22 Million dollars in 2003. In 2004, MEA achieved a net profit of 50 Million dollars. The business plan included the rationalization of MEA’s network, streamlining its purchasing policy, cost reductions at all levels of the airline, the launch of the frequent flyer program and yield management systems, as well as a number of other measures destined to modernize and restructure the airline.
