BEIRUT,  (Xinhua) — Lebanese authorities should consider re-opening Rene Mouawad Air Base to reduce traffic at Rafik Hariri International Airport (RHIA), President of the French-Lebanese Businessmen Association Antoine Menassa said Monday. “Rene Mouawad Air Base is a very important facility socially and economically as it can facilitate travel and shipping especially during holidays when traffic is at its peak,” he was quoted as saying by the National News Agency. Lebanese officials have on many occasions called for the re-opening of the air base, also known as Qleiaat Airport, currently being used by the Lebanese Army to maintain its helicopters. The current base is equipped with a runway of 3,600 meters by 60 meters. There are warehouses for fuel, areas for maintenance, spare parts, telecom devices and radars. Menassa said the re-opening of Qleiaat airport will create development balance among all Lebanese areas and governorates. He noted that travelers at RHIA are suffering from jam due to the high number of passengers using the facility mainly in times of holidays and annual pilgrimage. RHIA has witnessed an unprecedented increase in the number of passengers which reached 552,000 in the first half of August. This prompted Lebanese Finance Ministry to approve 18 million U.S. dollars in funding for the expansion of the RHIA.