Greece's Aegean Airlines says it has suspended all flights to Beirut pending the results of an investigation into suspicious damage to one of its planes that flew to Lebanon on January 10.
Reports on social media, which were picked up by Lebanese media, suggested the aircraft may have been hit by flying bullets. Lebanese officials, including the minister of Public Works and Transport, vehemently denied gunfire was the cause of the damage.
Beirut airport is in a busy residential area of the capital, where celebratory gunfire is not uncommon.
Ali Hamie, the Lebanese minister, shared on his official Twitter account an email exchanged among Lebanese officials saying the hole in the left rear cockpit window was examined and it was determined that a bullet was not the cause of the damage. The examiners suggested the damage may have been caused by ground equipment before arriving in Beirut.
The Greek airline said restarting flights will be announced in the coming weeks.