The airport opened on 23 April 1954, replacing the much smaller Bir Hassan Airfield which was located a short distance north.

[2][3] The airport grew to become a premier hub in the Middle East, thanks to limited competition from neighbours, with fast and steady growth by the country's four carriers at the time, Middle East Airlines (MEA), Air Liban, Trans Mediterranean Airways (TMA), and Lebanese International Airways (LIA), and numerous other foreign carriers.

[2][4] In response to an attack on El Al Flight 253 two days earlier in Athens, on the night of 28 December 1968, Israeli commandos mounted a surprise attack on the airport and destroyed 14 civilian aircraft operated by the Lebanese carriers, Middle East Airlines (Air Liban had merged with MEA by this time), Trans Mediterranean Airways, and Lebanese International Airways.

Middle East Airlines managed to rebound quickly, but Lebanese International Airways went bankrupt and its employees were transferred to MEA.

This seaward protrusion was built in order to move landing traffic away from the city in a bid to improve safety and reduce aircraft noise.

On 13 July 2006 at approximately 6:00 a.m. local time, all three runways of the airport sustained significant damage from missile strikes directed at it by the Israeli Air Force as part of the 2006 Lebanon War.

The Israeli Air Force claimed that the airport was a military target because Hezbollah was receiving weapons shipments there.

The first plane to land at the airport after the end of the blockade was a Middle East Airlines flight at 6:06 p.m. local time.

A press release issued by the White House said that the "prohibition of transportation services to Lebanon...is hereby further amended to permit U.S. air carriers under contract to the United States Government to engage in foreign air transportation to and from Lebanon of passengers, including U.S. and non-U.S. citizens, and their accompanying baggage; of goods for humanitarian purposes; and of any other cargo or materiel.

[15] Following the dismissals, Hezbollah operatives disrupted the airport's activities, and armed fighters on behalf of the organization took to the streets of Beirut, engaging in clashes with supporters of the government.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) marked Hezbollah's involvement as a central point in the low safety rating of airport transportation and placed it on par with third-world countries.

[19] On 4 August 2020, a massive explosion in Beirut resulted in the airport sustaining moderate damage to the terminal buildings.

[20] Doors and windows were destroyed, and ceiling tiles were shaken loose by the shockwave, severing electrical wires.

[21] In June 2024, a report by The Telegraph revealed that Hezbollah has been using the Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport to store large quantities of Iranian weapons.

This has raised significant security concerns and has led to calls for increased monitoring and inspection of cargo passing through the airport.

[22][23] The Lebanese government denied these claims and invited journalists and foreign ambassadors to inspect the airport facilities.

The airport also includes banks, a post office, massage chairs, prayer rooms, and a tourist information centre.

OCFTC buses number seven and ten also stop at the airport roundabout, en route to central Beirut.

Besides the Shia party Hezbollah,[dubious – discuss] other groups, including Sunnis and Maronites, have their own fiefs within the airport's provision of services.

Middle East Airlines Ground Handling (MEAG) is a wholly owned subsidiary of the national carrier, MEA.

LAT specialises in handling charter flights, but does have contracts with a number of scheduled carriers such as British Airways.

[citation needed] They also have a flight school, and conduct maintenance on light aircraft while offering fixed-base operator services.

[citation needed] The company will initially be called Universal/Cirrus Middle East, but will eventually become Universal Aviation Beirut.