Jazmin Li
Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV) is the main international airport of Israel. It is situated on the outskirts of the city of Lod and directly south of the city of Or Yehuda, 15 kilometres southeast of Tel Aviv. The airport is named after Israel's first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, and is the largest airport in the country.
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Location
Ben Gurion International Airport (IATA: TLV, ICAO: LLBG), also known by the Hebrew acronym Natbag, is the main international airport of Israel. It is located on the outskirts of the city of Lod, north of the city, and directly south of Or Yehuda. It is situated 20 kilometres (12 miles) southeast of Tel Aviv and 45 kilometres (28 miles) northwest of Jerusalem. The airport is named after Israel's first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, who died in 1973.
Ben Gurion Airport is the largest airport in Israel and is considered to be among the five best airports in the Middle East. It is known for its high level of security, which has ensured that no aircraft departing from the airport has ever been hijacked. The airport is served by numerous world airlines, including Israel's flag carrier, El Al Israel Airlines, which handles around 40% of all flights.
The airport is easily accessible by public transportation, with several types of buses, minibuses, and cabs available. It is also connected to the Tel Aviv Railway Station by train, with a train station located on the lower level of Terminal 3. The airport complex itself is vast, with around 10,000 people working in the many offices and retail outlets.
Ben Gurion Airport has a rich history, dating back to the 1930s. Despite showing its age by the 1990s, the airport underwent significant expansions and renovations to accommodate the increasing travel to Israel. In 2002, a new terminal was completed, reflecting modern architecture while strongly celebrating the country's cultural heritage. The terminal features terraced gardens with local flora, symbolising a powerful emblem of Israel's growing international status.
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History
Ben Gurion International Airport (IATA: TLV, ICAO: LLBG), located on the outskirts of Lod and directly south of Or Yehuda, is the main international airport of Israel. It is situated 45 kilometres (28 miles) northwest of Jerusalem and 20 kilometres (12 miles) southeast of Tel Aviv. The airport serves as a hub for El Al, Israir, Arkia, and Sundor, and is managed by the Israel Airports Authority.
The airport was originally known as Lod Airport until 1973 when it was renamed Ben Gurion International Airport in honour of David Ben-Gurion, the first prime minister of Israel, who died that year. In 1948, the Israelis changed the official name of the airport from "Lod International Airport" to "Tel Aviv-Lod International Airport", and flights resumed on 24 November 1948. That year, 40,000 passengers passed through the terminal, a number that had risen to 100,000 per month by 1952. By the mid-1960s, 14 international airlines were landing at the airport.
Ben Gurion Airport has been the target of several Palestinian attacks, including two major incidents involving hijacked airliners from other countries. On 8 May 1972, four Palestinian Black September terrorists hijacked a Sabena flight en route from Vienna and forced it to land at Ben Gurion Airport. Sayeret Matkal commandos, including future Israeli Prime Ministers Benjamin Netanyahu and Ehud Barak, stormed the plane, killing two hijackers and capturing the other two. One passenger was killed. Later that month, on 30 May 1972, in an attack known as the Lod Airport massacre, 24 people were killed and 80 injured when three members of the Japanese Red Army opened fire in the passenger arrival area. Despite these attacks, the adoption of strict security precautions has ensured that no aircraft departing from Ben Gurion Airport has ever been hijacked.
In 2023, Ben Gurion Airport handled 21.1 million passengers, making it one of the busiest airports in the Middle East. It is considered to be among the five best airports in the region due to its passenger experience and high level of security. The airport provides free wireless internet throughout the terminal, and buses run to destinations all over Israel, including Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Jerusalem.
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Security
Ben Gurion International Airport, also 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, directly south of Or Yehuda, and is the busiest airport in the country. The airport is considered to have one of the best passenger experiences in the Middle East, as well as a high level of security.
The airport has been the target of several terrorist attacks, including the hijacking of a Sabena flight in 1972 by Palestinian Black September terrorists, and the Lod Airport massacre in the same year, in which 24 people were killed and 80 injured by members of the Japanese Red Army. Despite these attacks, no aircraft departing from Ben Gurion Airport has ever been hijacked, thanks to the adoption of strict security precautions.
The security questioning at Ben Gurion Airport focuses on behaviour detection. Israeli security officers work with intelligence agencies worldwide and pay close attention to passengers' body language and reactions during the interview. Some passengers have reported feeling discriminated against due to their ethnicity or place of birth, despite holding American or Israeli passports.
In addition to the security measures within the airport, Ben Gurion Airport has also been the target of external attacks. In 2025, during the Gaza War, a ballistic missile launched by Houthis hit a grove near an access road within the airport perimeter, injuring six people.
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Amenities
Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV) is the main international airport of Israel. It is situated on the outskirts of the city of Lod, north of the city, and directly south of Or Yehuda. It is one of the busiest airports in the Middle East, handling 21.1 million passengers in 2023.
Ben Gurion Airport has a range of amenities for passengers and 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 has free wireless internet throughout the terminal. The terminal also has several lounges, including the exclusive El Al King David Lounge for frequent flyers and three Dan lounges for privileged or paying flyers. In addition, there is a synagogue in the terminal.
The airport complex has many offices and retail outlets, providing a high standard of passenger services. There are duty-free shops and VIP lounges. A 120-bed hotel is also located about 300 metres west of Terminal 3.
Buses run to destinations across Israel, including Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Jerusalem.
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Transport
Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV) is the main international airport of Israel. It is located on the outskirts of the city of Lod, 45 kilometres northwest of Jerusalem and 15 kilometres southeast of Tel Aviv.
There are several transport options for getting to and from Ben Gurion Airport. These include train, shuttle, taxi, sheruts (a bus-taxi hybrid), and car rentals.
Train
The train is a quick and cheap way to get to and from the airport. Trains run throughout the day and night, except during Shabbat (from Friday evening to Saturday evening). During the day, there are two trains per hour, stopping at four stations in Tel Aviv. At night, there is only one train per hour, and it only stops at Arlozorov Station. The train costs 16 shekels ($5) for a trip between the airport and Tel Aviv, and the journey takes approximately 18 minutes. However, unless you are travelling without luggage, you may need to take a taxi to your final destination.
Shuttle
The Airports Authority operates a free shuttle service at Ben Gurion Airport. Shuttle services are also offered by private companies, such as SIXT ride, which provides luxury transportation to and from the airport. These services can be booked in advance, and the drivers will track your flight and wait up to 60 minutes for you at no extra charge.
Taxi
Taxis are available outside the arrivals hall at Ben Gurion Airport. Fares from the airport have legally fixed prices, which fall into two categories depending on the time of day. However, drivers may charge extra for more than two passengers and extra luggage. Taxi queues at the airport can be long, so it is recommended to pre-book a private airport transfer if you are arriving after a long flight. Hadar Taxi has a monopoly on taxis from Ben Gurion Airport, and their fares are lower for drop-offs at the airport.
Bus
There are several bus lines that service Ben Gurion Airport, including Egged route 5, which is a shuttle between Airport City, El Al Junction, and the airport. The bus stop for Line 5 is located on Level 2 (Public Transport) at Terminal 3. The shuttle bus to Jerusalem (#485) is available 24 hours a day, 6 days a week (not on Shabbat). It departs hourly from Jerusalem’s Central Bus Station and takes approximately 1 hour.
Car Rental
All of Israel’s major car rental companies have locations at Ben Gurion Airport, with reservation desks above the arrivals hall. Cars are available for pickup and drop off at the airport 24/7, and car rental agencies in the rest of the country are generally closed from Friday afternoon to Sunday morning.
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Frequently asked questions
Ben Gurion International Airport is located on the outskirts of Lod, north of the city, and directly south of Or Yehuda. It is also situated 15 kilometres (9 miles) to the southeast of Tel Aviv and 45 kilometres (28 miles) northwest of Jerusalem.
Ben Gurion Airport is located 15 kilometres (9 miles) southeast of Tel Aviv. It usually takes less than 20 minutes to drive from the airport to the city centre.
Transfers between Ben Gurion Airport and Tel Aviv are provided by various types of public transportation. You can take a train from the lower level of Terminal 3, or you can opt for a bus, minibus, or taxi.
Tel Aviv is full of interesting attractions, including the Eretz Israel Museum and the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. There are also many religious sites and towns to visit in Israel, as well as the Red Sea nearby.
