1.
GV Beirut Airport building, exterior from approach road


2.
Outgoing passengers arrive at main airport entrance


3.
Guards Infront airport gate


4.
Airport runway


5.
Czechoslovak 'plane takes off, last to leave before closedown and runway empty afterwards


6.
Guards marching on empty runways


7.
Empty runway, an to idle aircraft steps


8.
Army truck passes through empty runways


9.
People waiting on balcony overlooking runways


10.
Loaded baggage trucks stranded on runway awaiting airport re-opening.




Initials



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: 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'.