Photo: A. J Jackson via MEA.
THE CEDARJET PAGES 
By Wassim Chemaitelli
MEA's Story in Images
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MEA was founded on May 31st and started operations on November
30th 1945 using a fleet of three de Havilland Rapides. MEA's inaugural flight
linked Beirut with Nicosia, Cyprus. MEA's flights connected Beirut with Cairo,
Damascus, Haifa, Lydda and Nicosia. Photo: A. J Jackson via MEA. |
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MEA introduced the Douglas DC-3/ C47 Dakota in May 1946 and used
as late as 1964. Flown at times as far as to Marseilles, France, in seasonal
services (1947) these planes were mainly used on short regional flights
after the introduction the Vickers Viscount. Photo: MEA |
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The introduction of the Vickers Viscount in October 1955 signalled
the expansion of MEA's operations to Europe and the Indian Sub-Continent.
The Viscounts will be MEA's workhorse until the jet era, and will be flown
on MEA's regional flights as late as 1968. Photo: MEA |
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As MEA expanded towards Europe, demand for cargo increased leading
to the introduction of all - cargo services. These were started with this
Bristol 170 freighter 31-E, OD-ACM "Doha", leased in between 1955 and 1958
and flown mainly to the Gulf destinations and Iran.
Photo: MEA |
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Three Avro-Yorks completed MEA's all-cargo fleet and were used
between 1957 and 1960. One was lost in an accident in 1958, the 2 others
were sold to TMA, Lebanon's unbeatable all-cargo airline in 1960. The Avro-Yorks were flown from Beirut to Basle, Athens, Rome, Milan, London, and to the Gulf. Photo: P. Keating.
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| MEA entered the jet age with the introduction of the Comet in December 1960, bringing up air transport in the Middle East to new standards. Flown anywhere between London and Bombay, Abidjan and Copenhagen, the Comets will mark MEA's evolution to a world class airline. In December 1968, the Israeli Army attacked Lebanese civilian installations at Beirut International Airport and destroyed 3 of the airline's 4 Comets. This attack prompted MEA's fleet renewal to a homogenous and cost-effective Boeing 707/720 fleet, but the remaining Comet will stay in service with MEA until 1972. Photo: MEA |
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| In all, MEA used 4 Sud Aviation Caravelles VIN. These were introduced in the fleet in 1963 and were the perfect complement for the Comet, as they could be used on the medium hall routes and high yield regional routes. This beautiful and passenger friendly jet will be used by the airline until 1972. Photo: MEA |
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MEA used 2 Vickers VC-10s between 1967 and 1969. The featured 9G-ABP
was leased from Ghana Airways in 1967 and was destroyed, along 12 other
airliners, in December 1968 by the Israeli Army as it attacked Lebanese
civilian installations at Beirut International Airport. The second VC-10,
OD-AFA (ex G-ARTA), was actually the prototype, refurbished and bought by
Laker Airways from which the airliner was leased. It was returned in April
1969 as MEA went ahead with the renewal and homogenization of its fleet into
a all Boeing 707/720 fleet. Photo: MEA |
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| Awaiting the delivery of its Boeing 707s, MEA used 6 Convair CV-990A on wet-lease from American Airlines between 1969 and 1972. These jets are still among the fastest sub-sonic commercial airplanes and were very popular with passengers. Photo: Paul Goddard @Airliners.net. |
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| MEA's history will always be associated with the Boeing 707. In
all, 11 Boeing 707s were purchased by MEA between 1968 and 1990 and they
were intensively used by the airline between 1968 and 1997. These planes
were flown on MEA's network accross 3 continents in 30 years and were also
to be seen overseas and in unusual locations as they went on lease with various
operators during Beirut International Airport's repeated closures through
Lebanon's war years. The Boeing 707 "Cedarjets" truly represent MEA's
stubborn resilience and fight for survival, and have a special place in the
history of air transport in Lebanon. Photo: Johan Ljungdahl @Airliners.net. |
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| Boeing 720s were flown by MEA between 1970 and 1995. Boeing
720s even out-numbered Boeing 707s in MEA's fleet between 1975 and 1980
and were truly the airline's workhorse at that time. In all, 18 Boeing 720s
were purchased by the airline between 1970 and 1978, but 11 were destroyed
in various episodes of Lebanon's war. The Boeing 720s were mostly used for
Middle Eastern routes after the implementation of noise reduction regulations
in Europe in 1987 and were gradually withdrawn from the fleet between 1992
and 1995. Photo: Franck Ebeling@Airliners.net |
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| MEA's Boeing 747s are also part of the airline's legend. OD-AGH,
OD-AGI, OD-AGJ were introduced to the fleet in 1975, a few month after
war erupted in Lebanon. Intially used on high yield routes to the Gulf and
Europe, they spent more time on lease with other operators than with the
airline between 1977 and 1990, generating badly needed cash in those terrible
days. Flown to New York in a short intermede between 1983 and 1985, the Jumbos
will fully re-integrate MEA's operations after 1990 with the end of Lebanon's
war. They were used to operate long-hall flights to Sydney, Singapore, Kuala
Lumpur, Sao Paulo as well as high revenue routes in Europe, Africa and the
Middle East. They were sold to Kitty Hawk Airlines in 1997 in order to help
finance the airline's re-equipment with newer Airbuses. Photo: MEA. |
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| Just like the Boeing 707 came to represent MEA's fight for survival,
the Airbus A310 will probably symbolize MEA's difficult adjustment to Lebanon's
post war realities. Initially chosen to replace the Boeing 707s in 1981,
the Airbus A310 will join the airline's fleet only in 1992. MEA used the
Airbus A310 intensively between 1992 and 2003. Five A310s were operated between
1997 and 2001 and 3 remained in operation between 2001 and 2003 . The
A310 accompanied the airline through its difficult restructuration, and were
used on the high load destinations including the twice daily BEY-CDG flights,
connecting MEA's network to Air France's Trans-Atlantic routes.
Photo:Chris Sheldon Airliners.net |
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| Three Airbus A320s were leased by MEA from ILFC between 1997 and
2003. With their introduction, the airline unvieled its latest livery. They
improved MEA's service offer on regional routes and medium load European
stations, flown until then by Boeing 707s. Photo: Patrick Lutz Airliners.net |
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| The Airbus A321 was finally the aircraft MEA chose as a replacement
of the Boeing 707. Two A321s were intially leased from ILFC between 1997
and 2003. Then MEA purchased its own fleet of 6 Airbus A321s, the first one,
F-ORME being delivered in February 2003. Photo: MEA |
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| MEA leased an Airbus A300-600ER from ILFC in 2001 and used it for
long haul services to West Africa as well as on some high load routes (London,
Riyadh). It will be used until its replacement with the lease of 3 ILFC
Airbus A330s on such routes in the summer of 2003. Photo:Jason Taperell @ Airliners.net. |
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