Baalbek Airfield

Military Appropriation and Conversion. The airfield was not officially 'closed' in a civil or administrative sense; rather, it ceased to be under the control of the Lebanese state. During the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990), the Lebanese Armed Forces lost control over large parts of the country, including the Bekaa Valley. The airfield was taken over by Syrian forces and their allied militia, Hezbollah. It was subsequently converted from a state military asset into a private military facility for these groups, effectively closing it to any official or public use.

The site is an active and strategic military facility controlled by Hezbollah, reportedly with significant support and presence from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It is not accessible to the public and is heavily fortified. Satellite imagery and intelligence reports from multiple sources indicate that the facility has been upgraded and is used for:
- Launching and storing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or drones) for reconnaissance and attack missions.
- Military training and logistics.
- Storage of munitions and other military equipment.
Due to its strategic importance to Hezbollah and Iran, the airfield has been a recurring target of Israeli airstrikes, particularly in the context of conflicts along the Lebanon-Israel border.

Originally, Baalbek Airfield was a small, rudimentary forward airstrip operated by the Lebanese Air Force (LAF). Its primary purpose was to support LAF operations in the strategic Bekaa Valley. It would have been used for light transport, reconnaissance missions, and as a staging point for aircraft operating in eastern Lebanon. Its single runway was unpaved or poorly paved for most of its operational history, suitable only for rugged, short-takeoff-and-landing (STOL) aircraft. Its significance was purely military and regional, providing the Lebanese state with a strategic foothold near the border with Syria before control was lost during the civil war.

None. There are no plans, discussions, or prospects for reopening Baalbek Airfield for civilian or official state use. Its current status as a critical, active military base for Hezbollah, a non-state actor, makes any such conversion impossible under the current political and security situation in Lebanon. Its future is entirely dependent on the geopolitical dynamics of the region and the status of Hezbollah's military infrastructure.