Airports In Israel: A Comprehensive Guide

Israel is a small country in the Middle East that is often regarded as the centre of religious tourism. The country is home to several airports that cater to the increasing tourism by handling a large number of passengers from across the globe. The Ben Gurion International Airport is the major airport serving the whole of Israel and is equipped with high-security checks, VIP lounges, free Wi-Fi, duty-free stores, and more. Ramon Airport is the second largest airport and serves as the primary diversion airport for Ben Gurion Airport. Haifa Airport is another international airport in Israel that is used mostly to handle air operations to Tel Aviv and Eilat.

Ben Gurion International Airport

The airport has an "open V" configuration, allowing for simultaneous landings and takeoffs on runways 08/26 and 03/21, increasing the number of aircraft movements during peak times and improving overall air safety. The construction of new taxiways has also significantly reduced taxi times. Due to the threat of missiles, runway directions are restricted to avoid flying over the war zone in Gaza.

Ramon Airport

The airport features modern facilities, including car rental counters, SIM cards, foreign exchange services, duty-free stores, and various eating options. There is also a large parking lot that offers paid parking for airport passengers. The shuttle service to Ramon Airport offers transfers to the Red Sea resorts of Aqaba in Jordan and Taba in Egypt, as well as connections to the Dead Sea, Jerusalem, or Tel Aviv. Taxi services and private transfer services are also available for travel between the airport and Eilat.

Haifa Airport

The terminal at Haifa Airport is open for service from 6:30 am, closing at 10 pm on Sundays and Thursdays, 8 pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, 7 pm on Fridays and holiday eves, and 8 pm on Saturdays and holidays. Flight requests outside of these hours should be submitted to the airport management at least 24 hours in advance.

Hatzor Airport

Israel has three international airports in operation, with two others that have no scheduled flights. There are also about 14 other airstrips across the country and the Golan Heights, mostly used privately or for flight training.

One of the airports with no scheduled flights is Ashdod's Hatzor Airport, which was built on the Hatzor Airbase. This airbase is located in central Israel, near kibbutz Hatzor Ashdod, after which it is named. The airbase was opened in 1942 as RAF Qastina by the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom in what was then the British Protectorate of Palestine. It was named after the nearby British military base, Camp Qastina, and the perished Palestinian village of Qastina.

On 15 March 1948, as the British Mandate for Palestine came to an end, the RAF evacuated the airfield and it was taken over by Haganah forces, who renamed it Hatzor Airbase. The 101 Squadron "First Fighter" was the first military aircraft squadron in Israel and relocated to Hatzor in November 1948. The squadron initially flew Avia S-199 fighter aircraft, made from leftover parts of the Messerschmitt Bf 109, imported from Czechoslovakia.

The 105 Squadron "Scorpion" moved to Hatzor in 1958, followed by the 113 Squadron "Hornet" in 1955, which was the second jet squadron of the Israeli Air Force. The 201 Squadron "The One" was established at Hatzor in 1969 as the first of five F-4E Phantom II Kurnass squadrons. In 1986, the 113 Squadron was closed and re-established in 1989/90 at Ramon Airbase.

In 2021, there were no fighter jets stationed at Hatzor, only patrol aircraft, UAVs and defence missiles. A Combined Operations Centre for the US military and Israel was also built there in 2021. In August 2022, the 144 Squadron "Phoenix" at Hatzor was reopened and equipped with UAVs of the newly developed Spark Nitsot (Orbiter 4) type.

Atarot Airport

Israel has three international airports in operation, with two more that have no scheduled flights. There are also about 14 other airstrips across the country that are mostly used privately or for flight training.

One of the airports in Israel is the Atarot Airport, also known as the Jerusalem International Airport or Qalandiya Airport. It was set up as a military airfield by the British Mandate authorities in the 1920s and was the first airport in the British Mandate of Palestine. It was opened for regular flights in 1936. The airport was under Jordanian control from 1948 to 1967, and during this time, it was a steadily growing hub of activity, with about 100,000 passengers flying in and out annually. The airport served around 15 destinations, including Rome, Beirut, Baghdad, Kuwait, Doha, Jeddah, and Cairo.

In 1967, Israel won the Six-Day War and began occupying the previously Jordanian-annexed territory, including the airport. Despite Israel's attempts to maintain the airport's international functioning, they could not replicate Jordan's success. The airport was closed to civilian air traffic in October 2000 due to security issues during the Second Intifada, and by July 2001, it was formally handed over to the Israel Defense Forces. Since then, the once rather grand airport has been gradually fading into rubble, with nature slowly reclaiming the land.

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