The Truth About MEA’s Low-Cost Airline

Rumors about Lebanon’s Middle East Airlines launching a low-cost carrier had been making the rounds on social media. For a while, there was no clear answer on if, or when, it would actually happen. But now, here’s what we know about MEA’s plans for a low-cost airline.

MEA Had Been Working On This for a While…

MEA’s chairman Mohamad El Hout revealed that the airline had been studying the launch of a fully independent low-cost airline under MEA Group for almost 10 years now. The project had always been delayed due to market conditions and aircraft availability. The economic crisis and COVID-19 pandemic also played a role in delaying the project.

When Will It Launch?

El Hout explained that MEA had been monitoring demand for affordable flights. Countries like Germany, Denmark, and Egypt were among the markets under consideration.

A key challenge was finding available planes, as global supply chain issues and manufacturing delays left many airlines struggling to secure new aircraft. MEA itself has been waiting on several delayed Airbus deliveries. This includes narrow-body A321 XLRs and wide-body A330 Neos, which are expected to arrive over the next few years.

Now, MEA is revisiting the project to reassess its feasibility and update the original plan. The goal is to kickstart the low-cost airline with four to five aircrafts. El Hout revealed that the initial business model, developed nearly a decade ago, needs to be updated. It must reflect current market conditions, passenger demand, and rising operational costs.

He confirmed that they are in the process of reworking the financial studies and exploring aircraft availability, especially given the continued challenges with global plane deliveries.

While there’s no fixed launch date yet, the renewed focus signals that MEA is more serious than ever about finally making its low-cost airline a reality.

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