Collusion over our heads

Protesters burning tires on the airport road and the tit-for-tat kidnappings gripping the nation’s attention may justly be blamed for diverting planes and visitors away from Lebanon. However, protectionism and expedient political maneuvering may be responsible for a more insidious affliction in the country’s civil aviation, and the saga at Beirut airport surrounding one relatively minor executive jet operator perhaps best illustrates the culture dominating the sector. Not welcome Imperial Jet was established in Germany in 1983 but decided to set up a regional hub in Lebanon in early 2006. Other aviation hotspots in the neighborhood — such as Dubai, Saudi Arabia or Jordan — may have seemed like more logical choices but “Lebanon was underserved,” says Mohamed Alem, board member and external legal advisor to Imperial Holding. “It’s a great strategic location and it wasn’t really on the international aviation scene. We felt we could make a difference.” Within