"I have two foreign reports that confirm that the hole did not result from a bullet and one of them says that the hole was made during the preparation of the plane and this has become certain. The issue is not related to Beirut airport nor to a security or terrorist act," the minister added.
Aegean Airlines said Saturday it had suspended its flights to and from
...a formerly French, now an Iranian colony situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel. ...'s capital pending an investigation into the causes of damage to the fuselage of one of its aircraft discovered after it landed in Beirut.
The damage to the external fuselage of one of its aircraft was identified by ground staff after landing on Monday in Beirut international airport, the airline said. It didn't identify the extent or type of damage and said the suspension of flights was announced the following day after informing authorities in both countries.
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 where celebratory gunfire is not uncommon.