By Wassim Chemaitelli

MEA EXPANDS AND LIVES UP TO ITS NAME: 1951-1958

Oil revenues soared in the Arabian-Persian Gulf region, which had a very basic service infrastructure. While political instability plagued Syria and Iraq, Palestine's division led to a significant decline in its role in the region's economy. All these factors directed the cash flow towards Beirut, which traditional role as the Near East's main harbour and financial center gained momentum. The local and regional air transport industry thus had great perspectives for further expansion. MEA had an additional, and highly significant asset. Sheikh Najib Alamuddin, was appointed as MEA's chairman in 1951 as Saeb Salaam got increasingly involved in local politics. Mr Alamuddin's vision, integrity and dedicated work, together with the efforts of MEA's staff were to lead the airline towards a golden age of great expansion

9-Above, right: MEA's 1952 timetable cover, of David Zekria's collection @Airline Timetables website. Click on the image for a glimpse at this document. Left: MEA's network in 1956. Below: MEA ticket (Used on May 19th 1950, Beirut-Nicosia-Beirut).

10-Beirut of the fifties, in water-colors.Unknown artist, in Terres Saintes, Odé Editeurs, Paris, 1956.

The early fifties witnessed the inauguration of Beirut International Airport (BEY) in Khaldeh, south of Beirut. The first aircraft to land at BEY was an MEA plane piloted by Fawzi Hoss. MEA's regional network expanded to include Bahrain, Doha and Jerusalem in 1951. However, new equipment was badly needed for planned European routes, and in order to increase the offered capacity on the regional routes. A notorious conflict between the airline's co-founders, Saeb Salaam and Fawzi Hoss on MEA's shares distribution had negative repercussions on the airline. Fawzi Hoss, despite his crucial role, was to leave the airline in the early fifties. Saeb Salaam also clashed with Pan Am regarding the distribution of the airline's benefits. Mr Salaam insisted that these should be redistributed among the shareholders, Pan Am insisted on using them for the airline's expansion program, even if they were far from sufficient. Both parties stuck to their positions, and finally , in March 1955, Pan Am withdrew from MEA and sold back its assets to Saeb Salaam. In the meantime, MEA was negociating the renewal of its partnership with BOAC. Thus, BOAC acquired a majority stake in MEA, and the latter was able to initiate its expansion program with the delivery of 3 Vickers Viscounts in October 1955.With these aircraft MEA started its first scheduled European service, Beirut-Athens-Rome on November 25th 1955.

MEA joined the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in 1955. Aircraft maintenance at BEY was to be boosted with the creation in August 1955 of the Mideast Aircraft Service Company (MASCO), a Beirut-based firm offering aircraft leasing and maintenance work in competitive terms to the region's airlines. MEA transferred its engineering facilities to MASCO, which was largely financed by BOAC. In 1956 MEA added Teheran, Vienna, Zurich and London to its network, followed in 1957 by operations to Frankfurt. Thanks to the Viscounts, MEA was able to offer quick and frequent connections between Europe and the Middle East via its Beirut homebase. MEA started all-cargo flights in December 1955 using a Bristol 170 freighter, replaced two years later by leased Avro Yorks which were operated until jet equipment enabled MEA to handle large cargo shipments on its passenger flights. In 1958 MEA expanded the Kuwait route towards Karachi and Bombay and started working on the Jeddah-Aden sector.

11-MEA's Vickers Viscounts (left) and Douglas DC3 Dakotas (right) were a common sight throughout the Middle East during the fifties.
Left: MEA's 1956 timetable cover, from Bjorn Larsson's collection. Right, MEA's 1959 timetable cover, from David Zekria's collection. Click on the images for more on each timetable. 

11bis-Above :MEA's all cargo operations were started using a Bristol 170 freighter in December 1955.(photos: MEA) .Below: from 1957 to 1960, 3 leased Avro York freighters were used for the cargo network. Click on the York's image for more on MEA's cargo activity in the fifties (Photo: Peter Keating).

History, in its other aspects, was to catch-up with MEA during the summer of 1958. Lebanon knew then its first episode of serious civil unrest. The Lebanese government was considering joining the Baghdad pact, an alliance of Middle Eastern pro-American regimes, against the wish of a large fraction of the population who were seduced by Gamal Abdel Nasser's pan Arab views, and who took to the streets in order to protest against the controversial pact. MEA's operations were disrupted for almost a month. The crisis was resolved as US Marines disembarked on Beirut's beaches to help the Lebanese army in restoring order, and as the government postponed its joining of the pact.

Amidst these turbulences, the jet age was approaching, and all hopes were permitted in the air transport business under Beirut's sun.

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