The Ministry of Public Works and Transport responded to “the recent increasing misleading news through some media outlets and social media platforms, which include allegations of the closure of the airport, the cessation of flights, or the exposure of Lebanese airspace to direct dangers,” stressing that “Rafic Hariri International Airport - Beirut is operating normally, and there is no decision to close it or suspend air traffic there, nor have flights been canceled as advertised.” According to official data issued by the General Authority of Civil Aviation, there are no new cancellations of flights, and 12 flights have been registered until eight in the morning, which “confirms the continuation of operational movement within the usual frameworks, and the Lebanese airspace is not closed, and the rumors about the use of Beirut Airport’s airspace for non-civil purposes are pure allegations that are completely baseless,” according to the Ministry of Public Works. As for the decline in the number of flights, the Ministry stressed that “this falls within the general global context related to the current conditions witnessed by various airports in the region, and does not constitute an exceptional indicator specific to Lebanon.” The Ministry added: “The Ministry of Public Works and Transport, along with the General Authority of Civil Aviation and the competent security services at Rafic Hariri International Airport, is closely following up on its proper functioning to preserve it as an essential artery linking Lebanon to the world, and to secure communication between Lebanese residents and expatriates. It warns of the danger of circulating inaccurate or misleading news due to its negative repercussions, and calls on the media and citizens to exercise the highest levels of responsibility, be accurate, and obtain information exclusively from approved official sources.”