Number of Airport Passengers Up 24.70% Annually YTD by December 2025
The cumulative activity at Rafic Hariri Airport rose by 24.70% year-on-year (YoY) to 7,011,129 travelers in 2025. This improvement reflects a broad recovery in airport activity over the year, led by stronger arrivals, which increased by 30.01% YoY to 3,591,536, and supported by a 19.67% YoY rise in departures to 3,416,994. Transit passengers, however, declined by 38.92% YoY to 2,743 as Lebanon continues to function less as a regional transit hub compared to major Gulf hubs.
The stronger annual performance was supported by a more contained security backdrop toward the end of the year. While a ceasefire was announced on 27 November 2024, Israel’s continued breaches of the agreement prolonged uncertainty well into late 2024, weighing heavily on passenger movement at the time. As conditions gradually stabilized in 2025, confidence improved and airline operations normalized. This contrasted sharply with December 2024, when many international airlines had suspended flights and overall connectivity was severely constrained, significantly suppressing passenger volumes.
On a monthly basis, airport passengers’ activity reached 594,175 passengers in December 2025, up 27.24% MoM, amplified by the holiday season peak, during which expatriates and visitors traditionally return to Lebanon. However, on an annual basis, activity surged, up 56.34% due to the extremely depressed travel levels recorded in December 2024 during the peak of the conflict. Arrivals increased by 43.79% YoY, and Departures grew by 76.56% YoY, underscoring the contrast between last year’s wartime flight suspensions and this year’s partial normalization of air operations. Transit passengers expanded dramatically by 300.00% YoY, though from a very low base, underscoring that December’s recovery was primarily driven by seasonal, point-to-point travel rather than a sustained revival in transit activity.
Annual YTD Passengers Activity:
Monthly and YoY Passengers Activity:
Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport YTD Activity by December 2025:
Source: Rafic Hariri International Airport, BLOMINVEST
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