Smoke rises near an empty runway of Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport on Oct. 6.Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters
Just over a third of the seats booked on a commercial flight for Canadians to depart Lebanon on Monday were actually used.
Global Affairs Canada said Monday afternoon in a statement there were 104 confirmed passengers on the Monday flight.
However, a government official said that 291 seats were booked for the flight. The Globe and Mail is not naming the official who gave a briefing on that understanding.
Global Affairs has been using commercial flights as a means to get Canadians out of the embattled country.
The flight in question travelled between Beirut and Istanbul. Additional flights are scheduled to leave Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday, with about 600 seats available, Global Affairs said. The department is booking such flights, but passengers pay for the cost of their travel.
At the House of Commons on Monday, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly did not speak to the issue of the Lebanon evacuation effort during a pair of media scrums.
There have been continuing concerns about the Canadian evacuation effort leading to seats empty of Canadians, with Ms. Joly repeatedly urging those who book the flights to actually take them.
According to Ms. Joly’s department, more than 5,500 Canadians, permanent residents and immediate family members in Lebanon have expressed interest in leaving the country. Of that total, 4,687 have been deemed eligible, documented and offered departure options.
Over the past week, Global Affairs said, it has helped 1,150 people leave Lebanon.
Those who have been evacuated also include individuals from Argentina, Australia, Bulgaria, Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, Switzerland, the United States and officials from the United Nations.
Michael Chong, the Conservative foreign-affairs critic, said Monday that the Conservatives are reiterating the months-old call for Canadian citizens to leave Lebanon while commercial options exist.
“The government must do better to provide clarity and timely communication with those who are trying to leave and clear the backlog of requests for seats on commercial flights while they are still available,” Mr. Chong said in a statement.
“In addition, the government should more strongly explain that as the situation deteriorates further in Lebanon, so will the ability to evacuate Canadians. The government should also provide a full and transparent update on contingencies prepared.”
Heather McPherson, the NDP foreign-affairs critic, said she was concerned about Canadians and their loved ones in Lebanon being unable to reach the Beirut airport to get to safety.
In 2006, Canada evacuated 14,370 people from Lebanon during a 34-day war between Israel and Islamic militants. That effort cost $100-million. Chartered ships and planes were used for the initiative.