Ben Gurion Airport: All About Israel's Gateway

Ben Gurion International Airport, commonly known by the Hebrew-language acronym Natbag, is Israel's main international airport and the busiest airport in the country. The airport, which dates back to the 1930s, is located on the outskirts of the city of Lod, 15km from Tel Aviv, and is named after Israel's first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion. Ben Gurion Airport is considered to be among the five best airports in the Middle East due to its passenger experience and high level of security.

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Location and history of the airport

Ben Gurion International Airport, commonly known by the Hebrew-language acronym Natbag, is the main international airport of Israel. It is situated on the outskirts of the city of Lod, 15 kilometres from Tel Aviv, and is the busiest airport in the country. The airport is named after David Ben-Gurion, Israel's first prime minister, who died in 1973. Before the name change, it was known as Lod Airport from 1948 until 1973.

Ben Gurion Airport dates back to the 1930s, but despite expansions and renovations, the facility was becoming outdated by the 1990s. With a rapid increase in travel to Israel, the airport authority embarked on a major project to build a new world-class terminal, which was completed in 2002. The terminal is designed to handle 16 million passengers annually and has become a symbol of Israel's growing international status. The airport's architecture blends modern design with cultural heritage, featuring terraced gardens with local flora.

The airport is located at the junction of the Jerusalem and Tel Aviv metropolitan areas. The head office of El Al, Israel's flag carrier airline, is situated at Ben Gurion Airport. Additionally, the airport serves as a hub for other airlines such as Israir, Arkia, and Sundor. The closest runway to Terminals 1 and 3 is 12/30, which is 3,112 metres long. This runway is the oldest surviving runway at the airport, and most landings occur on it from west to east, approaching from the Mediterranean Sea.

Ben Gurion Airport has been a target of Palestinian attacks in the past, but strict security measures have been implemented to ensure safety. These precautions have resulted in a perfect record, as no aircraft departing from the airport has ever been hijacked. The airport is considered one of the most secure in the world, with multiple security layers, including preliminary security gates for vehicles and armed personnel positioned throughout the facility.

Renaming of the airport

Ben Gurion International Airport, commonly known by the Hebrew-language acronym Natbag, is the main international airport of Israel. It is situated on the outskirts of the city of Lod, 15km or 20km from Tel Aviv, and 45km northwest of Jerusalem. The airport is considered to be among the five best airports in the Middle East due to its passenger experience and high level of security.

The airport was originally named Lod Airport in 1948, but was renamed in 1973 to honour David Ben-Gurion, the first prime minister of Israel, who died that year. The airport has been the target of several terrorist attacks, but strict security precautions have ensured that no aircraft departing from Ben Gurion Airport have ever been hijacked.

Ben Gurion Airport dates back to the 1930s, but despite expansions and renovations, the facility was showing its age by the 1990s. With travel to Israel rapidly increasing, the airport authority decided to build a new terminal with a capacity of 16 million passengers per year. The new terminal, which opened in 2002, became a powerful symbol of the nation's growing international status.

The airport has two operational terminals, with Terminal 1 being the main terminal until the opening of Terminal 3. Terminal 1 is still used for domestic and government flights. The main runway (12/30) is the oldest surviving runway, with the quiet (08/26) and short (03/21) runways having been built in the 1960s and 1970s. The short runway can only accommodate a very limited number of commercial flights, so the airport mostly relied on runways 12/30 and 08/26 until the extension of runway 03/21 was completed in 2010.

Security and safety

Ben Gurion International Airport, located in Israel, is considered to be among the five best airports in the Middle East due to its high level of security. The airport has been a target of Palestinian attacks, but strict security measures have ensured that no aircraft departing from Ben Gurion Airport has ever been hijacked.

The airport's security precautions include a preliminary security gate that vehicles must pass through before entering the compound. In addition, armed personnel are positioned around the building, and both uniformed and plainclothes security officers patrol the inside of the building. These security measures have been effective in preventing hijackings and other potential threats.

While the airport has been targeted by Houthi rebels based in Yemen, the Israeli military has successfully intercepted the majority of incoming missiles. In one instance, a failed interception forced a brief shutdown of the airport, but overall, Israel's defence systems have proven effective in protecting the airport from distant attacks.

Ben Gurion Airport has also implemented safety measures to address capacity and infrastructure concerns. In the 1980s and 1990s, plans were drawn up to extend the shorter runways, which were rarely used for commercial traffic. The extension of these runways aimed to alleviate safety concerns by reducing the crisscross pattern created by intersecting runways. Construction on these extensions began in 2010, helping to enhance the airport's safety standards.

The airport's security and safety measures are continually evaluated and improved to ensure the protection of passengers, staff, and aircraft. Ben Gurion International Airport's reputation as one of the most secure airports in the world is a testament to the effectiveness of its security protocols and the swift response of Israeli security forces.

Airlines and offices at the airport

Ben Gurion International Airport, also known by the Hebrew acronym Natbag, is the main international airport of Israel. It is situated on the outskirts of the city of Lod, which is located 45 kilometres northwest of Jerusalem and 20 kilometres southeast of Tel Aviv. The airport is named after David Ben-Gurion, Israel's first prime minister, who died in 1973.

Ben Gurion Airport serves as a hub for several airlines, including El Al, Israir, Arkia, and Sundor. The head office of El Al, Israel's flag carrier, is located at the airport, along with the head office of the Israel Airports Authority, which manages the airport's operations. Additionally, the nearby Airport City development, an office park, houses the head offices of the Civil Aviation Authority and Challenge Airlines IL.

Israel Aerospace Industries also maintains its head office and extensive aviation construction and repair facilities on the airport grounds. This contributes to the airport's capability to handle aviation-related operations and maintenance.

Ben Gurion Airport has been a target of several Palestinian attacks in the past. Despite this, the airport has a reputation for its high level of security, and no aircraft departing from Ben Gurion Airport has ever been hijacked. The airport is considered to be among the five best airports in the Middle East due to its passenger experience, security measures, and efficient management.

In October 2023, during the Gaza War, the number of airlines operating at Ben Gurion Airport decreased significantly, with only 7 airlines continuing their services. By February 2024, the number had slightly increased to 45 airlines. These fluctuations highlight the impact of geopolitical events on air travel and the resilience of the aviation industry in navigating through challenging circumstances.

Runway and terminal extensions

Ben Gurion International Airport, commonly known by the Hebrew-language acronym Natbag, is the main international airport of Israel. It is the busiest airport in the country and is located on the outskirts of the city of Lod, 15km from Tel Aviv. The airport has been in operation since the 1930s and has undergone expansions and renovations over the years.

The main runway at Ben Gurion Airport is 12/30, which is the oldest surviving runway at the airport. There are also two other runways: the quiet 08/26 and the short 03/21. For about four decades, the airport primarily used runways 12/30 and 08/26, as the short runway could not accommodate most commercial aircraft. However, this presented a problem as these two runways intersect near their western end, creating a crisscross pattern for landing and departing aircraft. This pattern reduced the airport's capacity and had negative safety implications.

With passenger traffic expected to increase, plans were drawn up in the 1980s and 1990s to extend runways 03/21 and 08/26 to address safety and capacity concerns. These plans were approved in 1997, and construction began in 2010.

In addition to runway extensions, Ben Gurion Airport has also undergone terminal expansions to accommodate increasing passenger traffic. The airport authority aimed to build a world-class terminal with a capacity of 16 million passengers annually. The new terminal, completed in 2002, became a symbol of Israel's growing international status. It features modern architecture that reflects the country's cultural heritage, including terraced gardens with local flora.

The airport has two operational terminals: Terminal 1 and Terminal 3. Terminal 1 was the main terminal before the opening of Terminal 3 and is now used for domestic and government flights. It was also utilised for check-in, security screening, and passport control for low-cost international flights departing from Terminal 3 between 2010 and 2017.

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