Abu Dhabi Airport welcomes Lebanon passengers home with care packages

It was the first flight by Middle East Airlines from Beirut to Abu Dhabi in five months

Passengers from Beirut were welcomed with parcels at the Abu Dhabi Airport on Thursday. Courtesy: Abu Dhabi Airports

Lebanese travellers were welcomed home to Abu Dhabi on Thursday with a care package.

The Middle East Airlines Flight landed on Thursday afternoon, making it the airline’s first journey to Abu Dhabi since March 2020.

Abu Dhabi Airports gave passengers parcels containing a UAE-Lebanon pin, hand sanitiser, wipes and a surgical mask.

Passengers were met by wellness ambassadors who answered questions about staying healthy during travel, how to keep safe and UAE government procedures.

Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, Abu Dhabi International Airport has introduced touchless elevator technology, heat motion sensors and sterilisation booths to disinfect passengers in three seconds.

Earlier this month, passengers who flew to Dubai from Lebanon following the Aug 4 Beirut blast were given white roses.

The explosion of ammonium nitrate in a warehouse at the government-owned Port of Beirut caused least 180 deaths, 6,000 injuries and made about 300,000 people homeless.

Thousands of UAE residents rallied to provide support for victims of the Beirut blast with food drives and donation campaigns.

UAE leaders sent large shipments of aid to Lebanon since the explosion, including tonnes of Covid-19 equipment and a Dh10 million donation, which will go to Emirates Red Crescent's relief efforts.

The organisation has provided treatment and rehabilitation services for patients in Beirut hospitals following the blast, under an initiative by Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak.