Khaldah ( Arabic : خلدة ) is a coastal town located 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) south of Beirut , Lebanon . It is famous as a tourist destination in the summer, especially for its various beach resorts.
112-763: The southern portion of Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport is located in Khaldah, in addition to a Lebanese Air Force base. Also, the motorway connecting Beirut and Southern Lebanon passes through Khaldah. The town itself lacks any form of urban planning, and in the past few years, most of the green areas have been replaced by commercial and apartment buildings. Some vegetables and citrus trees can still be seen growing in smaller and dispersed areas. As for industries, there are aluminum and glass factories in this area. Besides commerce and industries, Khaldah also houses educational institutions such as one islamic University and two Schools. Archeological excavations evidence that
224-551: A Kuwait Airways flight landed at the airport. Over the next couple of days, more airlines resumed flights to the airport. On 6 June 2007, U.S. President George W. Bush amended a ban on air traffic to Lebanon imposed since the 1985 hijacking of TWA Flight 847 to allow flights by the U.S. Government. A press release issued by the White House said that the "prohibition of transportation services to Lebanon...is hereby further amended to permit U.S. air carriers under contract to
336-477: A ' Flight Information Service ', which is similar to flight following. In the United Kingdom, it is known as a 'basic service'. En-route air traffic controllers issue clearances and instructions for airborne aircraft, and pilots are required to comply with these instructions. En-route controllers also provide air traffic control services to many smaller airports around the country, including clearance off
448-451: A 'Single European Sky', hoping to boost efficiency and gain economies of scale. The primary method of controlling the immediate airport environment is visual observation from the airport control tower. The tower is typically a tall, windowed structure, located within the airport grounds. The air traffic controllers , usually abbreviated 'controller', are responsible for separation and efficient movement of aircraft and vehicles operating on
560-441: A U‑shaped building, with each wing being parallel to the other, and the main terminal connecting the wings. The modern terminal consists of 23 gates, 19 of which have jetways , two of which are dual jetway gates for large aircraft, and two are bus gates which have been decommissioned. Smoking is prohibited in almost all areas inside the terminal, with a few exceptions (see East and West Wing section below). The main terminal includes
672-400: A bordering terminal or approach control). Terminal control is responsible for ensuring that aircraft are at an appropriate altitude when they are handed off, and that aircraft arrive at a suitable rate for landing. Not all airports have a radar approach or terminal control available. In this case, the en-route centre or a neighbouring terminal or approach control may co-ordinate directly with
784-433: A certain airport or airspace becomes a factor, there may be ground 'stops' (or 'slot delays'), or re-routes may be necessary to ensure the system does not get overloaded. The primary responsibility of clearance delivery is to ensure that the aircraft has the correct aerodrome information, such as weather and airport conditions, the correct route after departure, and time restrictions relating to that flight. This information
896-416: A controller can review the last radar returns from the aircraft to determine its likely position. For an example, see the crash report in the following citation. RAS is also useful to technicians who are maintaining radar systems. The mapping of flights in real-time is based on the air traffic control system, and volunteer ADS-B receivers. In 1991, data on the location of aircraft was made available by
1008-400: A distance of 100 nautical miles (185 kilometres; 115 miles). Terminal controllers are responsible for providing all ATC services within their airspace. Traffic flow is broadly divided into departures, arrivals, and overflights. As aircraft move in and out of the terminal airspace, they are 'handed off' to the next appropriate control facility (a control tower, an en-route control facility, or
1120-432: A large airspace area, they will typically use long-range radar, that has the capability, at higher altitudes, to see aircraft within 200 nautical miles (370 kilometres; 230 miles) of the radar antenna. They may also use radar data to control when it provides a better 'picture' of the traffic, or when it can fill in a portion of the area not covered by the long range radar. In the U.S. system, at higher altitudes, over 90% of
1232-414: A large amount of data being available to the controller. To address this, automation systems have been designed that consolidate the radar data for the controller. This consolidation includes eliminating duplicate radar returns, ensuring the best radar for each geographical area is providing the data, and displaying the data in an effective format. Centres also exercise control over traffic travelling over
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#17327725828761344-417: A map of the area, the position of various aircraft, and data tags that include aircraft identification, speed, altitude, and other information described in local procedures. In adverse weather conditions, the tower controllers may also use surface movement radar (SMR), surface movement guidance and control system (SMGCS), or advanced surface movement guidance and control system (ASMGCS) to control traffic on
1456-796: A member of the German Cirrus Group, partnered up with Universal Weather and Aviation to create a fixed-base operator and VIP charter service, which was launched on 15 October 2012. The company will initially be called Universal/Cirrus Middle East, but will eventually become Universal Aviation Beirut. They aim to become one of the top FBOs in the Middle East and will cater aircraft as large as Boeing 747s . LAT offers limited fixed-base operator services for private and executive aircraft. Executive Aircraft Services offers aircraft charter services, ground handling services, aircraft management, and aircraft acquisition and sales. The airport
1568-746: A new area control centre into service at the London Area Control Centre (LACC) at Swanwick in Hampshire, relieving a busy suburban centre at West Drayton in Middlesex, north of London Heathrow Airport . Software from Lockheed-Martin predominates at the London Area Control Centre. However, the centre was initially troubled by software and communications problems causing delays and occasional shutdowns. Some tools are available in different domains to help
1680-472: A number of airlines, particularly in Europe, have started using alphanumeric call signs that are not based on flight numbers (e.g. DLH23LG, spoken as Lufthansa -two-three-lima-golf , to prevent confusion between incoming DLH23 and outgoing DLH24 in the same frequency). Additionally, it is the right of the air traffic controller to change the 'audio' call sign for the period the flight is in his sector if there
1792-510: A radar control facility that is associated with that specific airport. In most countries, this is referred to as terminal control and abbreviated to TMC; in the U.S., it is referred to as a 'terminal radar approach control' or TRACON. While every airport varies, terminal controllers usually handle traffic in a 30-to-50-nautical-mile (56 to 93 km; 35 to 58 mi) radius from the airport. Where there are many busy airports close together, one consolidated terminal control centre may service all
1904-428: A seamless manner; in other cases, local agreements may allow 'silent handovers', such that the receiving centre does not require any co-ordination if traffic is presented in an agreed manner. After the hand-off, the aircraft is given a frequency change, and its pilot begins talking to the next controller. This process continues until the aircraft is handed off to a terminal controller ('approach'). Since centres control
2016-480: A significant decrease in 2006. The airport has a three-level car park with a total capacity of 2,350 cars. Public transportation to the airport does not exist, except for taxis. These tend to be more expensive than regular service taxis, however. LCC Bus Route 1 takes passengers from the airport roundabout , which is located one kilometer from the terminal, to Rue Sadat in Hamra , whereas Route 5 takes to
2128-520: A single hole in a line of thunderstorms. Occasionally, weather considerations cause delays to aircraft prior to their departure as routes are closed by thunderstorms. Much money has been spent on creating software to streamline this process. However, at some ACCs, air traffic controllers still record data for each flight on strips of paper and personally coordinate their paths. In newer sites, these flight progress strips have been replaced by electronic data presented on computer screens. As new equipment
2240-480: A study that compared stress in the general population and this kind of system markedly showed more stress level for controllers. This variation can be explained, at least in part, by the characteristics of the job. Surveillance displays are also available to controllers at larger airports to assist with controlling air traffic. Controllers may use a radar system called secondary surveillance radar for airborne traffic approaching and departing. These displays include
2352-451: A target by interrogating the transponder, the ADS-B equipped aircraft 'broadcasts' a position report as determined by the navigation equipment on board the aircraft. ADS-C is another mode of automatic dependent surveillance, however ADS-C operates in the 'contract' mode, where the aircraft reports a position, automatically or initiated by the pilot, based on a predetermined time interval. It
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#17327725828762464-415: A two or three letter combination followed by the flight number such as AAL872 or VLG1011. As such, they appear on flight plans and ATC radar labels. There are also the audio or radio-telephony call signs used on the radio contact between pilots and air traffic control. These are not always identical to their written counterparts. An example of an audio call sign would be 'Speedbird 832', instead of
2576-419: A unique callsign ( Mode S ). Certain types of weather may also register on the radar screen. These inputs, added to data from other radars, are correlated to build the air situation. Some basic processing occurs on the radar tracks, such as calculating ground speed and magnetic headings. Usually, a flight data processing system manages all the flight plan related data, incorporating, in a low or high degree,
2688-439: Is Aircraft Support & Services, which specialises in fixed-base operator services for private and executive aircraft. In addition, they operate two executive jets that can be chartered to various places. JR Executive operates a fleet of small propeller aircraft that can be chartered or leased. They also have a flight school, and conduct maintenance on light aircraft while offering fixed-base operator services. Cirrus Middle East,
2800-473: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Beirut%E2%80%93Rafic Hariri International Airport Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport ( Arabic : مطار رفيق الحريري الدولي بيروت , French : Aéroport international de Beyrouth - Rafic Hariri , previously known as Beirut International Airport ) ( IATA : BEY , ICAO : OLBA ) is the only operational commercial airport in Lebanon . It
2912-541: Is a risk of confusion, usually choosing the aircraft registration identifier instead. Many technologies are used in air traffic control systems. Primary and secondary radars are used to enhance a controller's situational awareness within their assigned airspace; all types of aircraft send back primary echoes of varying sizes to controllers' screens as radar energy is bounced off their skins, and transponder -equipped aircraft reply to secondary radar interrogations by giving an ID ( Mode A ), an altitude ( Mode C ), and / or
3024-508: Is a service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and through a given section of controlled airspace , and can provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled airspace. The primary purpose of ATC is to prevent collisions, organize and expedite the flow of traffic in the air, and provide information and other support for pilots. Personnel of air traffic control monitor aircraft location in their assigned airspace by radar , and communicate with
3136-409: Is a wholly owned subsidiary of the national carrier, MEA. It provides ground handling services for the national carrier, MEA, as well as most of the carriers serving the airport, including the cargo carriers. MEAG handles nearly 80% of the traffic at the airport. Lebanese Air Transport (LAT) is a smaller ground handling operator that conducts ground handling operations for a number of carriers serving
3248-416: Is a wide range of capabilities on these systems as they are being modernised. Older systems will display a map of the airport and the target. Newer systems include the capability to display higher-quality mapping, radar targets, data blocks, and safety alerts, and to interface with other systems, such as digital flight strips. Air control (known to pilots as tower or tower control ) is responsible for
3360-510: Is also coordinated with the relevant radar centre or flow control unit and ground control, to ensure that the aircraft reaches the runway in time to meet the time restriction provided by the relevant unit. At some airports, clearance delivery also plans aircraft push-backs and engine starts, in which case it is known as the ground movement planner (GMP): this position is particularly important at heavily congested airports to prevent taxiway and aircraft parking area gridlock. Flight data (which
3472-464: Is also possible for controllers to request more frequent reports to more quickly establish aircraft position for specific reasons. However, since the cost for each report is charged by the ADS service providers to the company operating the aircraft, more frequent reports are not commonly requested, except in emergency situations. ADS-C is significant, because it can be used where it is not possible to locate
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3584-402: Is brought in, more and more sites are upgrading away from paper flight strips. Constrained control capacity and growing traffic lead to flight cancellation and delays : By then the market for air-traffic services was worth $ 14bn. More efficient ATC could save 5-10% of aviation fuel by avoiding holding patterns and indirect airways . The military takes 80% of Chinese airspace, congesting
3696-573: Is located in the Southern Suburbs of Beirut , Lebanon , 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) from the city center . The airport is the hub for Lebanon's national carrier, Middle East Airlines (MEA) and was the hub for the Lebanese cargo carrier TMA cargo and Wings of Lebanon before their respective collapses. The airport was named after former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri in 2005, following his assassination earlier that year. It
3808-518: Is required to have clearance from ground control. This is normally done via VHF / UHF radio, but there may be special cases where other procedures are used. Aircraft or vehicles without radios must respond to ATC instructions via aviation light signals , or else be led by official airport vehicles with radios. People working on the airport surface normally have a communications link through which they can communicate with ground control, commonly either by handheld radio or even cell phone . Ground control
3920-480: Is responsible for the airport movement areas, as well as areas not released to the airlines or other users. This generally includes all taxiways, inactive runways, holding areas, and some transitional aprons or intersections where aircraft arrive, having vacated the runway or departure gate. Exact areas and control responsibilities are clearly defined in local documents and agreements at each airport. Any aircraft, vehicle, or person walking or working in these areas
4032-438: Is routinely combined with clearance delivery) is the position that is responsible for ensuring that both controllers and pilots have the most current information: pertinent weather changes, outages, airport ground delays / ground stops, runway closures, etc. Flight data may inform the pilots using a recorded continuous loop on a specific frequency known as the automatic terminal information service (ATIS). Many airports have
4144-600: Is the home base of MidEast Aircraft Services Company (MASCO), an aircraft maintenance provider that specialises in Airbus maintenance, particularly the A320 and A330 series. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the national carrier, MEA. MASCO has EASA 145 approval and as a result can maintain any aircraft registered in Europe. Middle East Airlines has its corporate headquarters and training centre at Beirut Airport. Air traffic control Air traffic control ( ATC )
4256-616: Is the main port of entry into the country along with the Port of Beirut . The airport is managed and operated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which operates within the Ministry of Public Works and Transport . The DGCA is also responsible for operating the air traffic control (ATC) at the airport as well as controlling Lebanon's airspace. DGCA duties include maintenance and general upkeep ranging from cleaning
4368-546: Is the only facility with radio or phone coverage. The first airport traffic control tower, regulating arrivals, departures, and surface movement of aircraft in the US at a specific airport, opened in Cleveland in 1930. Approach / departure control facilities were created after adoption of radar in the 1950s to monitor and control the busy airspace around larger airports. The first air route traffic control center (ARTCC), which directs
4480-606: Is the position that issues route clearances to aircraft, typically before they commence taxiing. These clearances contain details of the route that the aircraft is expected to fly after departure. Clearance delivery, or, at busy airports, ground movement planner (GMP) or traffic management coordinator (TMC) will, if necessary, coordinate with the relevant radar centre or flow control unit to obtain releases for aircraft. At busy airports, these releases are often automatic, and are controlled by local agreements allowing 'free-flow' departures. When weather or extremely high demand for
4592-466: Is vital to the smooth operation of the airport because this position impacts the sequencing of departure aircraft, affecting the safety and efficiency of the airport's operation. Some busier airports have surface movement radar (SMR), such as ASDE-3, AMASS, or ASDE-X , designed to display aircraft and vehicles on the ground. These are used by ground control as an additional tool to control ground traffic, particularly at night or in poor visibility. There
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4704-903: The Federal Aviation Administration to the airline industry. The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, the Helicopter Association International, and the National Air Transportation Association, petitioned the FAA to make ASDI information available on a 'need-to-know' basis. Subsequently, NBAA advocated
4816-756: The Shia militiamen were running on foot into Israeli gunfire to launch grenades the armor, moving to within 20 feet of the tanks to open fire at them. Reportedly, some of the Shia fighters had torn off pieces of their shirts and wrapped them around their heads as bands of martyrdom as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps troops had done in the Iran–Iraq War . 33°47′N 35°29′E / 33.783°N 35.483°E / 33.783; 35.483 This Lebanon location article
4928-733: The pilots by radio . To prevent collisions, ATC enforces traffic separation rules, which ensure each aircraft maintains a minimum amount of 'empty space' around it at all times. It is also common for ATC to provide services to all private , military , and commercial aircraft operating within its airspace; not just civilian aircraft. Depending on the type of flight and the class of airspace, ATC may issue instructions that pilots are required to obey, or advisories (known as flight information in some countries) that pilots may, at their discretion, disregard. The pilot in command of an aircraft always retains final authority for its safe operation, and may, in an emergency, deviate from ATC instructions to
5040-666: The 18 end while runway 03/21 at 3,180 metres (10,433 ft) was used primarily for take-offs from the 21 end and from the Sami end. The airport grew to become a premier hub in the Middle East, thanks to limited competition from neighbours, with fast and steady growth by the country's four carriers at the time, Middle East Airlines (MEA), Air Liban , Trans Mediterranean Airways (TMA), and Lebanese International Airways (LIA), and numerous other foreign carriers. In response to an attack on El Al Flight 253 two days earlier in Athens , on
5152-507: The Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport to store large quantities of Iranian weapons. The report claims that the weapons are transported from Iran and stored in hidden locations within the airport complex. This has raised significant security concerns and has led to calls for increased monitoring and inspection of cargo passing through the airport. International observers have urged for immediate action to address
5264-679: The Charles Helou bus station. OCFTC buses number seven and ten also stop at the airport roundabout, en route to central Beirut. Airport services, like much else in Lebanon, are often divided and delegated based upon sectarian allegiance. Besides the Shia party Hezbollah , other groups, including Sunnis and Maronites, have their own fiefs within the airport's provision of services. The airport has two ground handling operators , Middle East Airlines Ground Handling (MEAG) Lebanese Air Transport (LAT). Middle East Airlines Ground Handling (MEAG)
5376-531: The EU called for a 'Digital European Sky', focusing on cutting costs by including a common digitisation standard, and allowing controllers to move to where they are needed instead of merging national ATCs, as it would not solve all problems. Single air-traffic control services in continent-sized America and China does not alleviate congestion. Eurocontrol tries to reduce delays by diverting flights to less busy routes: flight paths across Europe were redesigned to accommodate
5488-614: The South at Khalde was the scene of an intense battle during the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon . When the Israeli army arrived on 11 June, a coalition of Amal , Lebanese Communist Party and PLO fighters fought a rearguard action which held up Israeli progress towards Beirut for six days. The joint forces gave the Israelis the first experience of serious ground opposition in the advance to Beirut. According to journalist Robert Fisk ,
5600-407: The U.S. airspace is covered by radar, and often by multiple radar systems; however, coverage may be inconsistent at lower altitudes used by aircraft, due to high terrain or distance from radar facilities. A centre may require numerous radar systems to cover the airspace assigned to them, and may also rely on pilot position reports from aircraft flying below the floor of radar coverage. This results in
5712-492: The U.S., TRACONs are additionally designated by a three-digit alphanumeric code. For example, the Chicago TRACON is designated C90. Air traffic control also provides services to aircraft in flight between airports. Pilots fly under one of two sets of rules for separation: visual flight rules (VFR), or instrument flight rules (IFR). Air traffic controllers have different responsibilities to aircraft operating under
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#17327725828765824-522: The United States Government to engage in foreign air transportation to and from Lebanon of passengers, including U.S. and non-U.S. citizens, and their accompanying baggage; of goods for humanitarian purposes; and of any other cargo or materiel." In 2008, the Lebanese government discovered that Iran and Hezbollah had concealed a network of hidden cameras in the terminals and fired the airport's security officer (Wafik Shoukeir), who
5936-465: The active runway surfaces. Air control gives clearance for aircraft takeoff or landing, whilst ensuring that prescribed runway separation will exist at all times. If the air controller detects any unsafe conditions, a landing aircraft may be instructed to ' go-around ', and be re-sequenced into the landing pattern. This re-sequencing will depend on the type of flight, and may be handled by the air controller, approach, or terminal area controller. Within
6048-471: The air by holding over specified locations until they may be safely sequenced to the runway. Up until the 1990s, holding, which has significant environmental and cost implications, was a routine occurrence at many airports. Advances in computers now allow the sequencing of aircraft hours in advance. Thus, aircraft may be delayed before they even take off (by being given a 'slot'), or may reduce speed in flight and proceed more slowly thus significantly reducing
6160-468: The air controllers aware of the traffic flow towards their runways to maximise runway utilisation through effective approach spacing. Crew resource management (CRM) procedures are often used to ensure this communication process is efficient and clear. Within ATC, it is usually known as 'team resource management' (TRM), and the level of focus on TRM varies within different ATC organisations. Clearance delivery
6272-900: The air traffic control system are primarily related to the volume of air traffic demand placed on the system, and weather. Several factors dictate the amount of traffic that can land at an airport in a given amount of time. Each landing aircraft must touch down, slow, and exit the runway , before the next aircraft crosses the approach end of the runway. This process requires at least one, and up to four minutes for each aircraft. Allowing for departures between arrivals, each runway can thus handle about 30 aircraft arrivals per hour. A large airport with two arrival runways can handle about 60 arrivals per hour in good weather. Problems arise when airlines schedule more arrivals into an airport than can be physically handled, or when delays elsewhere cause groups of aircraft – that would otherwise be separated in time – to arrive simultaneously. Aircraft must then be delayed in
6384-454: The air, a ground delay programme may be established, delaying aircraft on the ground before departure due to conditions at the arrival airport. In Area Control Centres, a major weather problem is thunderstorms , which present a variety of hazards to aircraft. Airborne aircraft will deviate around storms, reducing the capacity of the en-route system, by requiring more space per aircraft, or causing congestion, as many aircraft try to move through
6496-412: The aircraft approaches its destination, the centre is responsible for issuing instructions to pilots so that they will meet altitude restrictions by specific points, as well as providing many destination airports with a traffic flow, which prohibits all of the arrivals being 'bunched together'. These 'flow restrictions' often begin in the middle of the route, as controllers will position aircraft landing in
6608-481: The aircraft operator, and identical call sign might be used for the same scheduled journey each day it is operated, even if the departure time varies a little across different days of the week. The call sign of the return flight often differs only by the final digit from the outbound flight. Generally, airline flight numbers are even if east-bound, and odd if west-bound. In order to reduce the possibility of two call signs on one frequency at any time sounding too similar,
6720-470: The airport and ensured an increase in the number of employees from the Shiite community. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) marked Hezbollah's involvement as a central point in the low safety rating of airport transportation and placed it on par with third-world countries. On 29 March 2018, Emirates operated a one-off Airbus A380 service to Beirut. It was a trial flight in order to test
6832-569: The airport sustained significant damage from missile strikes directed at it by the Israeli Air Force as part of the 2006 Lebanon War . The Israeli Air Force claimed that the airport was a military target because Hezbollah was receiving weapons shipments there. The runways were rendered inoperative and the Lebanese Government declared that the airport was closed until further notice. Shortly thereafter, MEA used one of
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#17327725828766944-411: The airport's closure almost five weeks before. All runways and taxiways at the airport have been successfully repaired and the airport is operating as it was before the hostilities. On 7 September 2006, Israel ended its 8-week long air blockade of Lebanon. The first plane to land at the airport after the end of the blockade was a Middle East Airlines flight at 6:06 p.m. local time. Soon after that,
7056-560: The airport's handling of the aircraft. The aircraft parked at gate 1, which is capable of handling the Airbus A380. This marked the first time the A380 had landed in Lebanon. On 1 June 2019, the airport launched the new renovated and expanded departures and arrivals terminals. New customs counters were installed for both the departures and arrivals terminals. The airport is going to improve security by using newer equipment, relocate most of
7168-481: The airport. LAT specialises in handling charter flights, but does have contracts with a number of scheduled carriers such as British Airways . The airport is home to four fixed-base operators (FBOs) for private aircraft. MEAG recently launched its own FBO services with the opening of the new General Aviation Terminal called the Cedar Jet Centre, now regarded as the airport's top FBO. Another leading FBO
7280-543: The airports. The airspace boundaries and altitudes assigned to a terminal control centre, which vary widely from airport to airport, are based on factors such as traffic flows, neighbouring airports, and terrain. A large and complex example was the London Terminal Control Centre (LTCC), which controlled traffic for five main London airports up to an altitude of 20,000 feet (6,096 metres) and out to
7392-578: The amount of holding. Air traffic control errors occur when the separation (either vertical or horizontal) between airborne aircraft falls below the minimum prescribed separation set (for the domestic United States) by the US Federal Aviation Administration. Separation minimums for terminal control areas (TCAs) around airports are lower than en-route standards. Errors generally occur during periods following times of intense activity, when controllers tend to relax and overlook
7504-470: The broad-scale dissemination of air traffic data. The Aircraft Situational Display to Industry ( ASDI ) system now conveys up-to-date flight information to the airline industry and the public. Some companies that distribute ASDI information are Flightradar24 , FlightExplorer, FlightView, and FlyteComm. Each company maintains a website that provides free updated information to the public on flight status. Stand-alone programmes are also available for displaying
7616-647: The bulk of the duty-free, some other shops, restaurants, and the lounges. The main terminal has four levels: Each wing contains its own departure gates, as well as two cafés (one of which features a smoking section), a newsstand, a tourism shop, and smaller duty-free shopping areas in each wing. The East Wing, which opened in 1998, has gates 1–12 and the West Wing, which opened in 2002, has gates 13–23. Gates 2 and 3 are dual jetway gates for large aircraft. Gates 4 and 22 are bus boarding gates, however these are almost never used. The only way to move from one wing to
7728-528: The centre provides a clearance. Centre controllers are responsible for issuing instructions to pilots to climb their aircraft to their assigned altitude, while, at the same time, ensuring that the aircraft is properly separated from all other aircraft in its immediate area. Additionally, the aircraft must be placed in a flow consistent with the aircraft's route of flight. This effort is complicated by crossing traffic, severe weather, special missions that require large airspace allocations, and traffic density. When
7840-666: The controller further: In the United States, some alterations to traffic control procedures are being examined: In Europe, the Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) programme plans to develop new methods, technologies, procedures, and systems to accommodate future (2020 and beyond) air traffic needs. In October 2018, European controller unions dismissed setting targets to improve ATC as "a waste of time and effort", as new technology could cut costs for users but threaten their jobs. In April 2019,
7952-500: The damage, flights to the airport resumed following the explosion. In March 2023, it was announced that the airport would be expanded with a second terminal to be operated by a leading Irish airport company. According to the Minister of Transportation, Terminal 2 will bring in investments worth $ 122 million and will handle 3.5 million passengers annually. In June 2024, a report by The Telegraph revealed that Hezbollah has been using
8064-472: The different sets of rules. While IFR flights are under positive control, in the US and Canada, VFR pilots can request 'flight following' (radar advisories), which provides traffic advisory services on a time permitting basis, and may also provide assistance in avoiding areas of weather and flight restrictions, as well as allowing pilots into the air traffic control system prior to the need to a clearance into certain airspace. Throughout Europe, pilots may request
8176-598: The equivalent term air route traffic control center. Each centre is responsible for a given flight information region (FIR). Each flight information region typically covers many thousands of square miles of airspace, and the airports within that airspace. Centres control IFR aircraft from the time they depart from an airport or terminal area's airspace, to the time they arrive at another airport or terminal area's airspace. Centres may also 'pick up' VFR aircraft that are already airborne, and integrate them into their system. These aircraft must continue under VFR flight rules until
8288-575: The extent required to maintain safe operation of the aircraft. Pursuant to requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), ATC operations are conducted either in the English language, or the local language used by the station on the ground. In practice, the native language for a region is used; however, English must be used upon request. In 1920, Croydon Airport near London, England,
8400-523: The following provides a general concept of the delegation of responsibilities within the air traffic control tower environment. Remote and virtual tower (RVT) is a system based on air traffic controllers being located somewhere other than at the local airport tower, and still able to provide air traffic control services. Displays for the air traffic controllers may be live video, synthetic images based on surveillance sensor data, or both. Ground control (sometimes known as ground movement control , GMC)
8512-432: The geographic location of airborne instrument flight rules (IFR) air traffic anywhere in the FAA air traffic system. Positions are reported for both commercial and general aviation traffic. The programmes can overlay air traffic with a wide selection of maps such as, geo-political boundaries, air traffic control centre boundaries, high altitude jet routes, satellite cloud and radar imagery. The day-to-day problems faced by
8624-427: The ground and clearance for approach to an airport. Controllers adhere to a set of separation standards that define the minimum distance allowed between aircraft. These distances vary depending on the equipment and procedures used in providing ATC services. En-route air traffic controllers work in facilities called air traffic control centres, each of which is commonly referred to as a 'centre'. The United States uses
8736-408: The information of the track once the correlation between them (flight plan and track) is established. All this information is distributed to modern operational display systems , making it available to controllers. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has spent over US$ 3 billion on software, but a fully automated system is still yet to be achieved. In 2002, the United Kingdom commissioned
8848-571: The infrastructure for a radar system (e.g., over water). Computerised radar displays are now being designed to accept ADS-C inputs as part of their display. This technology is currently used in portions of the North Atlantic and the Pacific by a variety of states who share responsibility for the control of this airspace. 'Precision approach radars' (PAR) are commonly used by military controllers of air forces of several countries, to assist
8960-424: The last three numbers (e.g. three-four-five for N12345). In the United States, the prefix may be an aircraft type, model, or manufacturer in place of the first registration character, for example, 'N11842' could become 'Cessna 842'. This abbreviation is only allowed after communications have been established in each sector. Before around 1980, International Air Transport Association (IATA) and ICAO were using
9072-420: The long taxiways at the airport to evacuate five of its aircraft (four Airbus A321s and one Airbus A330 ). The airport reopened to commercial flights on 17 August 2006, with the arrival of a Middle East Airlines (MEA) flight around 1:10 p.m. local time from Amman , followed by a Royal Jordanian flight also from Amman. This marked the first commercial flight arrival at Beirut International Airport since
9184-517: The manoeuvring area (taxiways and runways). The areas of responsibility for tower controllers fall into three general operational disciplines: local control or air control, ground control, and flight data / clearance delivery. Other categories, such as airport apron control, or ground movement planner, may also exist at extremely busy airports. While each tower may have unique airport-specific procedures, such as multiple teams of controllers ( crews ) at major or complex airports with multiple runways,
9296-465: The movement of aircraft between departure and destination, was opened in Newark in 1935, followed in 1936 by Chicago and Cleveland. Currently in the US, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) operates 22 Air Route Traffic Control Centers . After the 1956 Grand Canyon mid-air collision , killing all 128 on board, the FAA was given the air-traffic responsibility in the United States in 1958, and this
9408-530: The new airport in Istanbul, which opened in April, but the extra capacity will be absorbed by rising demand for air travel. Well-paid jobs in western Europe could move east with cheaper labour. The average Spanish controller earn over €200,000 a year, over seven times the country average salary, more than pilots, and at least ten controllers were paid over €810,000 ($ 1.1m) a year in 2010. French controllers spent
9520-481: The new runway 16/34, runway 17/35 is still open, although it is rarely used. On 17 June 2005, the General Aviation Terminal was finally opened. It is located on the northwestern corner of the airport. All fixed-base operators and VIP charter providers have moved their operations to this state-of-the-art terminal. On 13 July 2006 at approximately 6:00 a.m. local time, all three runways of
9632-467: The next is through the main terminal. The airport also includes banks, a post office, massage chairs, prayer rooms, and a tourist information centre. The airport was the first in the region to offer 5G wireless internet services available for free for 2 hours. Passenger use and aircraft movements have increased each year since 1990 with the exception of 2006, which saw a sharp decrease in both. Total cargo has trended upwards since 1990 but also experienced
9744-546: The night of 28 December 1968, Israeli commandos mounted a surprise attack on the airport and destroyed 14 civilian aircraft operated by the Lebanese carriers, Middle East Airlines ( Air Liban had merged with MEA by this time), Trans Mediterranean Airways, and Lebanese International Airways. This caused serious devastation to the Lebanese aviation industry. Middle East Airlines managed to rebound quickly, but Lebanese International Airways went bankrupt and its employees were transferred to MEA. The airport lost its status as one of
9856-438: The overall capacity for any given route. The North Atlantic Track system is a notable example of this method. Some air navigation service providers (e.g., Airservices Australia, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, Nav Canada , etc.) have implemented automatic dependent surveillance – broadcast (ADS-B) as part of their surveillance capability. This newer technology reverses the radar concept. Instead of radar 'finding'
9968-482: The pilot in final phases of landing in places where instrument landing system and other sophisticated airborne equipment are unavailable to assist the pilots in marginal or near zero visibility conditions. This procedure is also called a 'talk-down'. A radar archive system (RAS) keeps an electronic record of all radar information, preserving it for a few weeks. This information can be useful for search and rescue . When an aircraft has 'disappeared' from radar screens,
10080-474: The potential risks associated with this development. The Lebanese government denied these claims and invited journalists and foreign ambassadors to inspect the airport facilities. However, journalists were barred from entering the air cargo center during the tour, allowing only diplomats access. The terminal consists of two wings: the East and West Wing, which are connected together by the main terminal, forming
10192-400: The premier hubs of the Middle East with the start of the 15-year-long Lebanese Civil War in April 1975 and lost virtually all of its airline services with the exception of two Lebanese carriers, Middle East Airlines and Trans Mediterranean Airways. Both airlines continued operating with the exception of certain periods of time when the airport itself was completely closed. Despite the conflict,
10304-544: The presence of traffic and conditions that lead to loss of minimum separation. Beyond runway capacity issues, the weather is a major factor in traffic capacity. Rain, ice , snow, or hail on the runway cause landing aircraft to take longer to slow and exit, thus reducing the safe arrival rate, and requiring more space between landing aircraft. Fog also requires a decrease in the landing rate. These, in turn, increase airborne delay for holding aircraft. If more aircraft are scheduled than can be safely and efficiently held in
10416-400: The same destination so that when the aircraft are close to their destination they are sequenced. As an aircraft reaches the boundary of a centre's control area, it is 'handed off' or 'handed over' to the next area control centre . In some cases, this 'hand-off' process involves a transfer of identification and details between controllers so that air traffic control services can be provided in
10528-550: The same two-letter call signs. Due to the larger number of new airlines after deregulation, the ICAO established the three-letter call signs as mentioned above. The IATA call signs are currently used in aerodromes on the announcement tables, but are no longer used in air traffic control. For example, AA is the IATA call sign for American Airlines ; the ATC equivalent is AAL. Flight numbers in regular commercial flights are designated by
10640-480: The security checkpoints, install an improved baggage handling system and inaugurate a fast track system for business and first class passengers by the end of the summer. On 4 August 2020, a massive explosion in Beirut resulted in the airport sustaining moderate damage to the terminal buildings. Doors and windows were destroyed, and ceiling tiles were shaken loose by the shockwave, severing electrical wires. Despite
10752-429: The site has been occupied since at least the beginning of the first millennium BC. A few kilometers south of Khaldah is Khan Khaldah, where a major Roman- Byzantine settlement once existed. Here, two 5th and 6th century AD Christian basilicas were found, one built over the other and both were paved with mosaics . Later during the 1980s, Khalde was used as an unregulated seaport run by Amal. The highway to Beirut from
10864-418: The taxiways and runways of the airport itself, and aircraft in the air near the airport, generally 5 to 10 nautical miles (9 to 19 kilometres ; 6 to 12 miles ), depending on the airport procedures. A controller must carry out the job using the precise and effective application of rules and procedures; however, they need flexible adjustments according to differing circumstances, often under time pressure. In
10976-428: The terminal to de-rubberising the runways. The airport opened on 23 April 1954, replacing the much smaller Bir Hassan Airfield which was located a short distance north. At the time of its opening, the terminal was very modern and it featured an excellent spotters terrace with a café. The airport consisted of two asphalt runways at the time. Runway 18/36 at 3,250 metres (10,663 ft) was used primarily for landings from
11088-456: The terminal was renovated in 1977, only to be badly damaged five years later by Israeli shelling during the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon. The airport was the site of the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing , in which 241 American servicemen were killed. The airport's runways were renovated in 1982 and 1984. By the time war finally came to an end in 1990, the airport needed to launch a massive reconstruction program. A ten-year reconstruction program
11200-418: The thin corridors open to airliners. The United Kingdom closes its military airspace only during military exercises. A prerequisite to safe air traffic separation is the assignment and use of distinctive call signs . These are permanently allocated by ICAO on request, usually to scheduled flights , and some air forces and other military services for military flights . There are written call signs with
11312-452: The tower on the airport and vector inbound aircraft to a position from where they can land visually. At some of these airports, the tower may provide a non-radar procedural approach service to arriving aircraft handed over from a radar unit before they are visual to land. Some units also have a dedicated approach unit, which can provide the procedural approach service either all the time, or for any periods of radar outage for any reason. In
11424-432: The tower, a highly disciplined communications process between the air control and ground control is an absolute necessity. Air control must ensure that ground control is aware of any operations that will impact the taxiways, and work with the approach radar controllers to create gaps in the arrival traffic; to allow taxiing traffic to cross runways, and to allow departing aircraft to take off. Ground control needs to keep
11536-557: The world's ocean areas. These areas are also flight information regions (FIRs). Because there are no radar systems available for oceanic control, oceanic controllers provide ATC services using procedural control . These procedures use aircraft position reports, time, altitude, distance, and speed, to ensure separation. Controllers record information on flight progress strips , and in specially developed oceanic computer systems, as aircraft report positions. This process requires that aircraft be separated by greater distances, which reduces
11648-496: The written 'BAW832'. This is used to reduce the chance of confusion between ATC and the aircraft. By default, the call sign for any other flight is the registration number (or tail number in US parlance) of the aircraft, such as 'N12345', 'C-GABC', or 'EC-IZD'. The short radio-telephony call signs for these tail numbers is the last three letters using the NATO phonetic alphabet (e.g. ABC, spoken alpha-bravo-charlie for C-GABC), or
11760-414: Was constructed protruding at an angle out into the sea, with a length of 3,395 metres (11,138 ft). This seaward protrusion was built in order to move landing traffic away from the city in a bid to improve safety and reduce aircraft noise . A new take-off runway was constructed parallel to the old 03/21 at a length of 3,800 metres (12,467 ft) making it the longest runway in the airport. The old 03/21
11872-421: Was converted to a taxiway for accessing the new runway 03/21. Unlike the old runways, the two new runways were constructed from concrete and feature more advanced lighting systems and instrument landing systems . In 2004, runway 17/35 was re-designated 16/34 and runway 18/36 was re-designated 17/35 after more accurate runway heading measurements were conducted. Despite being essentially replaced by and adjacent to
11984-507: Was created in 1922, after World War I, when the U.S. Post Office began using techniques developed by the U.S. Army to direct and track the movements of reconnaissance aircraft . Over time, the AMRS morphed into flight service stations . Today's flight service stations do not issue control instructions, but provide pilots with many other flight related informational services. They do relay control instructions from ATC in areas where flight service
12096-702: Was followed by other countries. In 1960, Britain, France, Germany, and the Benelux countries set up Eurocontrol , intending to merge their airspaces. The first and only attempt to pool controllers between countries is the Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre (MUAC), founded in 1972 by Eurocontrol, and covering Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and north-western Germany. In 2001, the European Union (EU) aimed to create
12208-439: Was inaugurated, the old terminal was demolished and construction on the western half began and was completed in 2000, however it was not inaugurated until 2002. This consists of gates 13–23. The new terminal can handle 6 million passengers annually and is expected to be expanded to handle 16 million passengers by 2035. It was decided early on that the original runways were no longer sufficient. A new landing runway, 17/35
12320-412: Was launched in 1994 which included the construction of another terminal, two runways, a fire station, a power plant, a general aviation terminal, and an underground parking garage . Many structures, like the radar building, were rehabilitated. In 1998 the first phase of the new terminal was completed. It was located immediately adjacent to the east of the old terminal and consists of gates 1–12. After it
12432-426: Was linked to Hezbollah. Following the dismissals, Hezbollah operatives disrupted the airport's activities, and armed fighters on behalf of the organization took to the streets of Beirut, engaging in clashes with supporters of the government. As a result of agreements between Hezbollah and the Lebanese government, Hezbollah withdrew its forces from the streets of Beirut. Subsequently, Hezbollah increased its control over
12544-415: Was the first airport in the world to introduce air traffic control. The 'aerodrome control tower' was a wooden hut 15 feet (5 metres) high with windows on all four sides. It was commissioned on 25 February 1920, and provided basic traffic, weather, and location information to pilots. In the United States, air traffic control developed three divisions. The first of several air mail radio stations (AMRS)
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