^Sabah has a high standing amongst Egyptians across the Arab world. We also love writers like Kahlil Gibran, and (dare I say it) Shakira
I hope that the Skyteam alliance works right for MEA. I'd hate to see the airline remain an 'associate' and rely on all those code-shares. For example, the Dubai-Beirut market is extremely competitive. EK runs double daily alongside Jazeera, Air Arabia not to mention pax who connect through QR, EY and GF. Oh, and Oman flies Dubai-Beirut daily. So does Malaysian Airlines. Yet for some reason, MEA still operates narrow-bodies (not always) on the route and retains a small share for the UAE-Leb market. Surely, with fleet expansion, then the airline can justify 2x daily A333s!
Wisely, on the short-term, the airline flies 2x A332s to CDG for onward traffic. Yet, on the long-term, the airline can justify flying to more destinations and becoming a bigger airline, instead of remaining a pawn in the hands of big fish like AF.
Lebanon still holds rights to fly to SYD, and yes, they will require hard capital to open up an A345 flying BEY-SYD (acquiring ac, bases, maintenance, marketing, etc.) but will take a while to break even. When it does, the route should continue to remain profitable, provided that costs remain linear and efficient in nature, a key component to making a long-haul work.
All the airline needs is faith, and a patient financier.