After 25 bird strikes slaughterhouses and farms banned near the airport

Around 25 bird strikes were recorded near Beirut Airport in one year, prompting new government measures to protect air traffic.

Farms, slaughterhouses and bird breeding will be banned within five kilometers of the airport, with existing facilities closed or relocated. Food, waste, water and other bird attractants must also be removed.

Cleanup work has begun along the Ghadir River and nearby drainage channels, some of which had not been fully cleaned in nearly 20 years.

Only about 60% of the airport’s 15 bird-deterrent devices are operational, while the rest require maintenance.

The Butchers and Livestock Traders’ Union opposed the inclusion of farms and slaughterhouses and urged the government to reconsider.