During the summer season, Beirut Airport becomes a place brimming with emotion.
Families welcome their loved ones returning from abroad with flowers, tears, and hugs—scenes that encapsulate long years of separation.
Among these stories, Anthony stood in the arrivals hall holding a bouquet of flowers he had carefully chosen for his fiancée, who was arriving from Australia.
The reunion was more than just a welcome; the couple had decided to hold their wedding in Lebanon and begin their married life in their homeland.
Similarly, scenes of mothers welcoming their children and grandparents welcoming their grandchildren are a daily occurrence at Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut.
Some families mark these homecomings with wedding processions and ululations, transforming the arrivals hall into a quintessentially Lebanese celebration.
Despite the difficult circumstances Lebanon has faced and the suspension of flights by a number of airlines in the past,
expatriates have maintained their ties to their homeland.
Last June, the number of arrivals reached 437,057, compared to 284,869 departures, and the month also saw 2,737 aircraft land.
The importance of expatriates’ return is not limited to the human aspect.
It is also reflected in restaurants, hotels, markets, and villages.
At Beirut Airport, it is not just planes that arrive; they bring with them a longing for the place that has remained home, no matter how far away one may be.
National News Agency
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