Shortly after the announcement that hostilities had broken out between Israeli and Arab forces in Syria and Egypt, Beirut airport began a steady rundown of activity until at 1645 local time the last aircraft on the tarmac, of Czechoslovakian Airlines, took off leaving the runways- normally the busiest in the Middle East completely deserted. Stranded passengers waited anxiously for news of their now-delayed flights. At the time of writing the airport is still completely deserted (1800 hrs, local). 'The airport has not officially closed' a spokesman just said, 'But all flights are being diverted for the time being'.