Ben Gurion International Airport
Encyclopedia
Ben Gurion International Airport , also referred to by its Hebrew acronym Natbag , is the largest and busiest international airport
in Israel
, handling 12,160,339 passengers in 2010. It is rated as the best airport in the Middle East
, and the second-best worldwide for airports handling 5–15 million passengers annually by the Airports Council International
organisation.
The airport is located near the city of Lod
, 15 km (9 mi) southeast of the center of Tel Aviv
. It is one of two commercial aviation airports in the Tel Aviv Metropolitan Area, the other being Sde Dov Airport
—which is located in Tel Aviv proper and serves mainly domestic flights. Ben Gurion Airport is operated by the Israel Airports Authority
, a government-owned corporation
that manages all public airport
s and border crossing
s in the State of Israel.
Ben Gurion International Airport serves as the home base of El Al
, Israir Airlines, and Arkia Israel Airlines
. Terminal
3 is used for most international flights, while Terminal 1 is used for all domestic flights. The airport has three runway
s and is used by commercial, private and military aircraft.
Ben Gurion International Airport is considered one of the world's most secure airports, with a security force that includes both police officers and IDF
soldiers. Airport security guards operate both in uniform and undercover
to maintain a high level of vigilance and detect any possible threats. The airport has been the target of several terrorist
attacks, but no attempt to hijack a plane departing from Ben Gurion airport has succeeded.
The airport was initially known as "Wilhelma
Airport" when it was built in 1936 in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine
and later became known as RAF Station Lydda. It began as an airstrip of four concrete runways on the outskirts of the Arab town of Lydda. It was built during the British Mandate of Palestine chiefly for military purposes and was renamed RAF Lydda
in 1943. The importance of the facility rose significantly during World War II
when it served as a major airfield for military air transport and aircraft ferry operations between military bases in Europe
, Africa
, the Middle East
(mainly Iraq and Persia) and South/Southeast Asia.
The first civilian transatlantic route, New York City to Tel Aviv, was inaugurated by TWA
in 1946. The British gave up Lydda airport at the end of April 1948. Soldiers of the Israel Defence Force captured the airport on 10 July 1948, in Operation Danny
, transferring control to the newly declared State of Israel
. Flights resumed on 24 November 1948. That year, 40,000 passengers passed through the terminal. By 1952, the number had risen to 100,000 a month. Within a decade, air traffic increased to the point where local flights had to be redirected to the Sde Dov
airfield (SDV) on the northern Tel Aviv coast. By the mid-1960s, 14 international airlines were landing at Lod Airport.
The airport was renamed Ben Gurion International Airport in 1973 to honour Israel's first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion
.
More buildings and runways were added over the years, but with the onset of mass immigration
from Ethiopia and the former Soviet Union in the 1980s and 90s, as well as the global increase of international business travel, the existing facilities became painfully inadequate, prompting the design of new state-of-the-art terminal that could also accommodate the expected tourism influx for the 2000 millennium celebrations. The decision to go ahead with project was reached in January 1994, but Terminal 3 only opened its doors a decade later, on 2 November 2004.
s has ensured that no aircraft departing from Ben Gurion airport has ever been hijacked
. On the other hand, airliners hijacked from other countries have landed at Ben Gurion, contributing to two major incidents in the airport's history. In the first, 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 led by Ehud Barak
stormed the plane, killing two of the 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
sprayed machine gun fire into the passenger arrival area. The victims included Aharon Katzir
, a prominent protein
biophysicist
and brother of Israel's 4th president. Those injured included Efraim Katzir and a group of twenty Puerto Rican
tourists who had just arrived in Israel. The only terrorist who survived was Kozo Okamoto
, who received a life sentence but was set free in a prisoner exchange with the PFLP-GC
.
Prior to the opening of Terminal 3, Terminal 1 was the main terminal building at Ben Gurion Airport. At that time, the departures check-in area
was located on the ground floor. From there, passengers proceeded upstairs to the main departures hall, which contained passport
control, duty-free shop
s, VIP lounge
s, one synagogue
and boarding gates. At the gates, travelers would be required to descend a flight of stairs to return to the ground floor where waiting shuttle-buses transported them to airplanes on the tarmac
. The arrivals hall with passport control, luggage carousels, duty-free pick-up and customs
was located at the south end of the building. The shuttle-buses transferred passengers and crews to and from the terminal to airplanes which were parked on the tarmac
over 500 meters (1,640 ft) away. After Terminal 3 opened, Terminal 1 was closed except for domestic flights to the airport in Eilat and government flights such as special immigrant flights from North America and Africa. Chartered flights organised by Nefesh B'Nefesh
carrying immigrants from North America
and England
use this terminal for their landing ceremonies several times a year.
Terminal 1 re-opened in 2007 as the domestic terminal following extensive renovations, and in July 2008, to cater for summer charter and low-cost flights. It remained open for these charter and low-cost flights for the 2008 summer season, with passengers checking-in and passing through security here, before being bussed to Terminal 3. The terminal closed temporarily in October 2008, when it underwent under further renovation and reopened again in Summer 2009, when it was expected to reach its three-month capacity of 600,000 passengers on international flights. As of 2010, several low-cost carriers' international flights were operating out of Terminal 1 year-round including Cimber Sterling
flights to Copenhagen
, Jet2.com
flights to Manchester, Vueling flights to Barcelona and easyJet
flights to London
(Luton), Geneva, and Basel
. All other international flights operate out of Terminal 3.
Although Terminal 1 was closed between 2003 and 2007, the building served as a venue for various events and large-scale exhibitions including the "Bezalel Academy of Arts
Centennial Exhibition" which was held there in 2006. There is now talk of keeping Terminal 1 open 24 hours a day in order to handle charter flights from Europe. The renovations for the terminal were designed by Yosef Assa with three individual atmospheric themes. Firstly, the public halls have a Land-of-Israel character with walls painted in the colors of Israel's Judean, Jerusalem and Galilee
mountains. The Departure Hall is given an atmosphere of vacation and leisure, whilst the Arrivals Hall is given a more urban theme as passengers return back to the city.
In February 2006, the Israel Airports Authority
announced plans to invest 4.3 million NIS
in a new VIP wing for private jet
passengers and crews, as well as others interested in avoiding the main terminal. VIP ground services already exist, but a substantial increase in users has justified expanding the facilities, which will also boost airport revenues. The IAA released figures showing significant growth in private jet flights (4,059, a 36.5% increase from 2004) as well as private jet users (14,613, a 46.2% increase from 2004). The new VIP wing, operated by an outside licensee, will be located in an upgraded and expanded section of Terminal 1. All flight procedures (security check, passport control and customs) will be handled here. This wing will include a hall equipped for press conferences, a deluxe lounge, special meeting rooms equipped with state-of-the-art business facilities and a designated lounge for flight crews who spend time at the airport between flights. It was announced in January 2008, however, that the IAA planned to construct a new 1000sq metre VIP terminal next to Terminal 3.
. Terminal 2 served domestic flights until 20 February 2007 when these services moved into the refurbished Terminal 1. Due to increased traffic in the late 1990s and over-capacity reached at Terminal 1, an international section was added until Terminal 3 was opened. Terminal 2 was slated to be demolished to make room for more freight areas until July 2007, when it was decided that the terminal would be converted into a special terminal for low-cost airlines.
(SOM). Moshe Safdie
& Associates and TRA (now Black and Veatch
) designed a linking structure and the airside departure areas and gates. Ram Karmi
and other Israeli architects were the local architects of record. The inaugural flight was an El Al
flight to John F. Kennedy International Airport
in New York City
.
The new terminal was built to serve over 10 million passengers per year. It could accommodate 16 million passengers a year with the addition of two concourses to the existing three. One additional concourse is currently in the planning stages, along with an expansion of the landside terminal. Due to the proximity of the airport to the country's largest population centres and the problem of noise pollution
, another international airport is being considered to be built elsewhere in the country.
Work on Natbag 2000, as the Terminal 3 project was known, was scheduled for completion prior to 2000 in order to handle a massive influx of pilgrim
s expected for the Millennium celebrations
. This deadline was not met due to higher than anticipated costs and a series of work stoppages in the wake of the bankruptcy of the main Turkish contractor. The project eventually cost an estimated one billion US dollars.
Terminal 3 uses the Jetway
system. The overall layout is similar to that of airports in Europe and North America, with multiple levels and considerable distances to walk after disembarking from the aircraft. The walk is assisted by escalators and moving walkways. The ground floor departures hall, with an area of over 10,000 square metres (107,639 sq ft), is equipped with 110 check-in counters
and as well as Flight information display system
s. A small shopping mall
, known as Buy & Bye, is open to both travellers and the general public. The mall, which includes shops, restaurants and a post office, was planned to be a draw for non-flyers too. On the same level as the mall, passengers enter passport control and the security check. Planes taking off and landing can be viewed from a distinctive tilted glass wall. Car rental
counters are located in an intermediate level situated between the departing and arriving passenger halls. Terminal 3 has two synagogues.
After the main security check, passengers wait for their flights in the star-shaped duty-free rotunda. A variety of cafes, restaurants and duty-free shops are located there, open 24 hours a day, as well as a synagogue, banking facilities, a transit hall for connecting passengers and a desk for VAT
refunds.
Terminal 3 has a total of 30 gates divided among three concourses (B, C and D), each with 8 jetway-equipped gates (numbered 2 through 9) and 2 stand gates (bus bays, 1 and 1A) from which passengers are ferried to the aircraft. Almost all El Al flights utilize concourse D with other airlines using concourses B and C. Room exists for two additional concourses (A and E). Currently, the addition of concourse E is in the planning stages along with an expansion of the landside terminal. In March 2011, the government of Israel approved a budget of NIS 758 million (appx. US$215 million) for the construction of concourse E and its related facilities.
Free wireless internet
is provided throughout the terminal.
The terminal has three business lounges - the exclusive El Al
King David Lounge for frequent flyers and two 'Dan' lounges for either privileged or paying flyers. In January 2007, the IAA announced plans for a 120-bed hotel at Terminal 3.
during the SARS epidemic.
Another use for the terminal was for the memorial ceremonies upon the arrival of the casket
of Col. Ilan Ramon
after the Columbia disaster in February 2003 and the arrival of Elchanan Tenenbaum and the caskets of 3 Israeli soldiers from Lebanon in January 2004.
is located at Ben Gurion Airport, as is the head office of the Israel Airports Authority
. In addition, Israel Aerospace Industries also maintains its head office on airport grounds as well as extensive aviation construction and repair facilities.
to terminals 1 and 3 is 12/30, 3,112 meters (10,210 feet) in length, and is followed by a taxiway
. Most landing
s take place on this runway from West to East, approaching from the Mediterranean Sea
over southern Tel Aviv. During inclement weather, it may also be used for takeoff
s (Direction 12). A 17 million NIS renovation project was completed in November 2007 which reinforced the runway and made it suitable for future wide-body aircraft
such as the new Airbus A380
. In September 2008, a new ILS
serving the runway was activated. The main runway has been temporarily closed since late 2011 in order to accommodate the extension of runway 03/21.
of the Israeli Air Force
. As of late 2011 however, the runway is closed and most of the activity in the military apron to the east of the runway has been permanently relocated to Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel. Currently the runway is being rebuilt and and lengthened to over 9100 feet (2,773.7 m). When this work is completed in early 2014 the runway will be equipped with an ILS, and be placed into full commercial operation.
for surrounding residents. This is the newest runway in the airport, built in the early 1970s. A 24 million NIS renovation project completed in February 2006 reinforced the runway and made it suitable for future wide-body aircraft
such as the new Airbus A380
.
times at the airport. The project will cost nearly 1 billion NIS and is scheduled to be completed by early 2014.
Ben Gurion International Airport is one of the world's most secured airports
. Security operates on several levels.
All cars, taxis, buses and trucks go through a preliminary security checkpoint
before entering the airport compound. Armed guards
spot-check the vehicles by looking into cars, taxis and boarding buses, exchanging a few words with the driver and passengers. Armed security personnel stationed at the terminal entrances keep a close watch on those who enter the buildings. If someone arouses their suspicion or looks nervous, they may strike up a conversation to further assess the person's intent. Plainclothes
armed personnel patrol the area outside the building, and hidden surveillance cameras operate at all times. Inside the building, both uniformed and plainclothes security officers are on constant patrol. Departing passengers are personally questioned by security agents even before arriving at the check-in desk. This interview can last as little as a minute, or as long as an hour if a passenger is selected for additional screening. Luggage and body search
es may be conducted. After the search, bags are placed through an X-ray machine
before passengers proceed to the check-in counters. Occasionally, if security have assessed a person as a low risk, they will pass them straight through to the check-in desks, bypassing the main x-ray machines.
Until August 2007 there was a system of color codes on checked luggage but the practice was discontinued after complaints of discrimination.
to supply the most advanced x-ray/CT scanning machines currently available. The fully automatic system, together with an upgrade of the baggage handling system will cost NIS 375 million (appx. US$105 million) and will be fully installed by 2014. The current pre-check in baggage screening processes is at times a source of complaints from travelers, particularly foreigners and minorities who are often subjected to more stringent screenings; the envisioned process aims to make the check-in process quicker and more passenger-friendly as well as more secure since 100% of checked baggage will undergo screening, including baggage from passengers deemed to be low-risk who are currently sometimes allowed to proceed to check in without having their baggage x-rayed.
After check-in, checked baggage
is put in a pressure chamber to trigger any possible explosive devices. Passengers continue through to personal security and passport control, as in other airports. Before passing through the metal detector
s and placing carry-on baggage through the X-ray machine at the security checkpoint, passports and boarding passes are re-inspected and additional questions may be asked. Before boarding the aircraft, passports and boarding passes are verified once again. Security procedures for incoming flights are not as stringent, but passengers may be questioned by passport control depending on country of origin
, or countries visited prior to arrival in Israel. Passengers who have recently visited countries at war with Israel (all Arab countries except Bahrain
, Egypt
, Jordan
, Mauritania
and Qatar
) may be subject to further questioning.
, to determine the most customer-friendly airport. Tel Aviv placed second in the grouping of airports which carry between 5 and 15 million passengers per year behind Japan's Nagoya Airport
. The survey consisted of 34 questions. A random sampling of 350 passengers at the departure gate were asked how satisfied they were with the service, infrastructure and facilities. Ben Gurion received a rating of 3.94 out of 5, followed by Vienna, Munich, Amsterdam, Brussels, Zurich, Copenhagen and Helsinki. The airport retained its title as the best Middle Eastern airport in the 2007 and 2008 surveys.
The airport's busiest year so far was 2010: 12,160,339 passengers passed through the airport (an increase of almost 10% over the previous year) on over 95,000 commercial operations. In 2006, the largest airlines on international routes were: El Al
(40.6% of flights), Lufthansa
(4.16%), Continental Airlines
(3.96%), Israir
(3.85%) and Arkia (3.83%).
A steep rise in the number of domestic passengers using the airport is expected someday in the future in the wake of plans to close down Sde Dov Airport
(which currently handles more domestic passengers annually than TLV) and build luxury towers on the Sde Dov property. All commercial flights will be rerouted to Ben Gurion.
The airport is located near Highway 1
, the main Jerusalem-Tel Aviv Highway and Highway 40
. The airport is accessible by car or public bus. Israel Railways
operates train service from the airport
to several parts of the country and taxi stands are located outside the arrivals building. A popular transportation option is a share taxi
van, known in Hebrew as a "monit sherut", going to Beer Sheva, Haifa
and Jerusalem.
operates the Ben Gurion Airport Railway Station, located in the lower level of Terminal 3. From this station passengers may head north-west to Tel Aviv
, Haifa
and other destinations in the north, or south-east to Modi'in. The journey to Tel Aviv Savidor Central Railway Station takes about 18 minutes. Almost 3.3 million passengers used the railway line to and from the airport in 2009. The line to Modi'in is part of a new rail line
under construction from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem which is scheduled for completion in 2016. The service does not operate on Shabbat
and Jewish holiday
s. The line to Nahariya
through Tel Aviv and Haifa runs 24 hours a day.
"shared" door to door taxi vans and standard taxis. An Egged
#5 shuttle bus ferries passengers between the terminals and a small bus terminal in the nearby Airport City industrial/office park where they can connect to regular Egged bus routes passing through the area. Passengers connecting at Airport City can pay for both rides on the same ticket, not having to pay an extra fare for bus #5. Other bus companies directly serve Terminal 3, and the airport also provides a free shuttle bus between terminals.
, the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway, the airport has a total of 11,300 parking space
s for short and long-term parking. The spaces for long-term parking are situated several kilometres from the terminal, and are reached by a free shuttle bus. Car rental at the airport is available from Avis, Budget, Eldan, Hertz and Sixt.
film, The Delta Force
starring Chuck Norris
and the late Lee Marvin
. The scenes of the airport are the terrorists surrendering the women and children hostages and when they greet their families before the movie ends. The Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport
and Athens International Airport scenes were also filmed here. However the interior of the Athens International Airport terminal was shot here and the exterior was shot in the defunct Ellinikon International Airport
.
International airport
An international airport is any airport that can accommodate flights from other countries and are typically equipped with customs and immigration facilities to handle these flights to and from other countries...
in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, handling 12,160,339 passengers in 2010. It is rated as the best airport in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, and the second-best worldwide for airports handling 5–15 million passengers annually by the Airports Council International
Airports Council International
Airports Council International is the association of the world’s airports. It is a non profit organization, whose prime purpose is to advance the interests of airports and to promote professional excellence in airport management and operations...
organisation.
The airport is located near the city of Lod
Lod
Lod is a city located on the Sharon Plain southeast of Tel Aviv in the Center District of Israel. At the end of 2010, it had a population of 70,000, roughly 75 percent Jewish and 25 percent Arab.The name is derived from the Biblical city of Lod...
, 15 km (9 mi) southeast of the center of Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
. It is one of two commercial aviation airports in the Tel Aviv Metropolitan Area, the other being Sde Dov Airport
Sde Dov Airport
Sde Dov Airport , also known as Dov Hoz Airport is an airport located in Tel Aviv, Israel which mainly handles scheduled domestic flights to Eilat and , northern Israel , and the Israeli Golan Heights. It is Tel Aviv's largest airport and the second largest in the area, after Ben Gurion...
—which is located in Tel Aviv proper and serves mainly domestic flights. Ben Gurion Airport is operated by the Israel Airports Authority
Israel Airports Authority
The Israel Airports Authority was founded in 1977 as a public corporation mandated by the Israel Airports Authority Law. The authority is responsible for the management of Israel's major civil airports and land-to-land border terminals between Israel and its neighbours...
, a government-owned corporation
Government-owned corporation
A government-owned corporation, state-owned company, state-owned entity, state enterprise, publicly owned corporation, government business enterprise, or parastatal is a legal entity created by a government to undertake commercial activities on behalf of an owner government...
that manages all public airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
s and border crossing
Border control
Border controls are measures used by a country to monitor or regulate its borders.The control of the flow of many people, animals and goods across a border may be controlled by government Customs services. Security is enforced by various kinds of Border Guards and Coast Guards...
s in the State of Israel.
Ben Gurion International Airport serves as the home base of El Al
El Al
El Al Israel Airlines Ltd , trading as El Al , is the flag carrier of Israel. It operates scheduled domestic and international services and cargo flights to Europe, North America, Africa and the Far East from its main base in Ben Gurion International Airport...
, Israir Airlines, and Arkia Israel Airlines
Arkia Israel Airlines
Arkia Israel Airlines , usually referred to as Arkia is an airline with its head office on the grounds of Sde Dov Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel. It is Israel's second largest airline operating scheduled domestic and international services as well as charter flights to destinations in Western Europe...
. Terminal
Airport terminal
An airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from aircraft....
3 is used for most international flights, while Terminal 1 is used for all domestic flights. The airport has three runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
s and is used by commercial, private and military aircraft.
Ben Gurion International Airport is considered one of the world's most secure airports, with a security force that includes both police officers and IDF
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
soldiers. Airport security guards operate both in uniform and undercover
Undercover
Being undercover is disguising one's own identity or using an assumed identity for the purposes of gaining the trust of an individual or organization to learn secret information or to gain the trust of targeted individuals in order to gain information or evidence...
to maintain a high level of vigilance and detect any possible threats. The airport has been the target of several terrorist
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
attacks, but no attempt to hijack a plane departing from Ben Gurion airport has succeeded.
History
Wilhelma, Palestine
Wilhelma was a German Templer colony in Palestine located southwest of al-'Abbasiyyah near Jaffa.Wilhelma-Hamîdije was named in honour of King William II of Württemberg, Emperor Wilhelm II and Sultan Abdul Hamid II, however, only the first half of the name prevailed...
Airport" when it was built in 1936 in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine
Mandate Palestine
Mandate Palestine existed while the British Mandate for Palestine, which formally began in September 1923 and terminated in May 1948, was in effect...
and later became known as RAF Station Lydda. It began as an airstrip of four concrete runways on the outskirts of the Arab town of Lydda. It was built during the British Mandate of Palestine chiefly for military purposes and was renamed RAF Lydda
RAF Lydda
Lod Air Force Base, also Air Force Base 27, was an Israeli Air Force base that was part of the Ben Gurion International Airport, located approximately north of Lod; east-southeast of Tel Aviv....
in 1943. The importance of the facility rose significantly during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
when it served as a major airfield for military air transport and aircraft ferry operations between military bases in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
(mainly Iraq and Persia) and South/Southeast Asia.
The first civilian transatlantic route, New York City to Tel Aviv, was inaugurated by TWA
Trans World Airlines
Trans World Airlines was an American airline that existed from 1925 until it was bought out by and merged with American Airlines in 2001. It was a major domestic airline in the United States and the main U.S.-based competitor of Pan American World Airways on intercontinental routes from 1946...
in 1946. The British gave up Lydda airport at the end of April 1948. Soldiers of the Israel Defence Force captured the airport on 10 July 1948, in Operation Danny
Operation Danny
Operation Danny was an Israeli military offensive launched at the end of the first truce of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. The objectives were to capture territory east of Tel Aviv and then to push inland and relieve the Jewish population and forces in Jerusalem...
, transferring control to the newly declared State of Israel
Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel
The Israeli Declaration of Independence , made on 14 May 1948 , the day before the British Mandate was due to expire, was the announcement by David Ben-Gurion, the Executive Head of the World Zionist Organization and chairman of the Jewish Agency for Palestine, that the new Jewish state named the...
. Flights resumed on 24 November 1948. That year, 40,000 passengers passed through the terminal. By 1952, the number had risen to 100,000 a month. Within a decade, air traffic increased to the point where local flights had to be redirected to the Sde Dov
Sde Dov Airport
Sde Dov Airport , also known as Dov Hoz Airport is an airport located in Tel Aviv, Israel which mainly handles scheduled domestic flights to Eilat and , northern Israel , and the Israeli Golan Heights. It is Tel Aviv's largest airport and the second largest in the area, after Ben Gurion...
airfield (SDV) on the northern Tel Aviv coast. By the mid-1960s, 14 international airlines were landing at Lod Airport.
The airport was renamed Ben Gurion International Airport in 1973 to honour Israel's first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion
David Ben-Gurion
' was the first Prime Minister of Israel.Ben-Gurion's passion for Zionism, which began early in life, led him to become a major Zionist leader and Executive Head of the World Zionist Organization in 1946...
.
More buildings and runways were added over the years, but with the onset of mass immigration
Aliyah
Aliyah is the immigration of Jews to the Land of Israel . It is a basic tenet of Zionist ideology. The opposite action, emigration from Israel, is referred to as yerida . The return to the Holy Land has been a Jewish aspiration since the Babylonian exile...
from Ethiopia and the former Soviet Union in the 1980s and 90s, as well as the global increase of international business travel, the existing facilities became painfully inadequate, prompting the design of new state-of-the-art terminal that could also accommodate the expected tourism influx for the 2000 millennium celebrations. The decision to go ahead with project was reached in January 1994, but Terminal 3 only opened its doors a decade later, on 2 November 2004.
Terrorist incidents
While Ben Gurion Airport has been a target of Palestinian attacks, the adoption of strict security precautionAirport security
Airport security refers to the techniques and methods used in protecting airports and aircraft from crime.Large numbers of people pass through airports. This presents potential targets for terrorism and other forms of crime due to the number of people located in a particular location...
s has ensured that no aircraft departing from Ben Gurion airport has ever been hijacked
Aircraft hijacking
Aircraft hijacking is the unlawful seizure of an aircraft by an individual or a group. In most cases, the pilot is forced to fly according to the orders of the hijackers. Occasionally, however, the hijackers have flown the aircraft themselves, such as the September 11 attacks of 2001...
. On the other hand, airliners hijacked from other countries have landed at Ben Gurion, contributing to two major incidents in the airport's history. In the first, on 8 May 1972, four Palestinian Black September
Black September (group)
The Black September Organization was a Palestinian paramilitary group, founded in 1970. It was responsible for the kidnapping and murder of eleven Israeli athletes and officials, and fatal shooting of a West German policeman, during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, their most publicized event...
terrorists hijacked a Sabena flight
Hijacking of Sabena Flight 572
Sabena Flight 571 was a scheduled passenger flight from Vienna to Tel Aviv operated by the Belgian national airline, Sabena. On May 8, 1972 a Boeing 707 passenger aircraft operating that service, and captained by the Englishman, Reginald Levy, DFC, was hijacked by four terrorists from the Black...
en-route from Vienna and forced it to land at Ben Gurion airport. Sayeret Matkal
Sayeret Matkal
Sayeret Matkal is a special forces unit of the Israel Defence Forces , which is subordinated to the intelligence directorate Aman. First and foremost a field intelligence-gathering unit, conducting deep reconnaissance behind enemy lines to obtain strategic intelligence, Sayeret Matkal is also...
commandos led by Ehud Barak
Ehud Barak
Ehud Barak is an Israeli politician who served as Prime Minister from 1999 until 2001. He was leader of the Labor Party until January 2011 and holds the posts of Minister of Defense and Deputy Prime Minister in Binyamin Netanyahu's government....
stormed the plane, killing two of the 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
Lod Airport massacre
The Lod Airport massacre was a terrorist attack that occurred on May 30, 1972, in which three members of the Japanese Red Army, on behalf of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine , killed 26 people and injured 80 others at Tel Aviv's Lod airport...
, 24 people were killed and 80 injured when three members of the Japanese Red Army
Japanese Red Army
The was a Communist terrorist group founded by Fusako Shigenobu early in 1971 in Lebanon. It sometimes called itself Arab-JRA after the Lod airport massacre...
sprayed machine gun fire into the passenger arrival area. The victims included Aharon Katzir
Aharon Katzir
Aharon Katzir was an Israeli pioneer in the study of the electrochemistry of biopolymers. He was killed in the Lod Airport Massacre in 1972.-Biography:...
, a prominent protein
Protein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
biophysicist
Biophysics
Biophysics is an interdisciplinary science that uses the methods of physical science to study biological systems. Studies included under the branches of biophysics span all levels of biological organization, from the molecular scale to whole organisms and ecosystems...
and brother of Israel's 4th president. Those injured included Efraim Katzir and a group of twenty Puerto Rican
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
tourists who had just arrived in Israel. The only terrorist who survived was Kozo Okamoto
Kozo Okamoto
was a 24-year-old botany student from a respectable middle-class family when he was recruited to the Japanese Red Army . He was later detained in Lebanon. During his stay in Lebanon, Okamoto converted to Islam in what was seen as an attempt to avoid being returned to Japan...
, who received a life sentence but was set free in a prisoner exchange with the PFLP-GC
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command is a Palestinian nationalist organization, backed by Syria and Iran...
.
Terminal 1
Airport check-in
Airport check-in uses service counters found at commercial airports handling commercial air travel. The check-in is normally handled by an airline itself or a handling agent working on behalf of an airline...
was located on the ground floor. From there, passengers proceeded upstairs to the main departures hall, which contained passport
Passport
A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....
control, duty-free shop
Duty-free shop
Duty-free shops are retail outlets that are exempt from the payment of certain local or national taxes and duties, on the requirement that the goods sold will be sold to travelers who will take them out of the country...
s, VIP lounge
Airport lounge
An airport lounge is a lounge owned by a particular airline . Many offer private meeting rooms, phone, fax, wireless and Internet access and other business services, along with provisions to enhance comfort such as free drinks and snacks...
s, one synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
and boarding gates. At the gates, travelers would be required to descend a flight of stairs to return to the ground floor where waiting shuttle-buses transported them to airplanes on the tarmac
Airport ramp
The airport ramp or apron is part of an airport. It is usually the area where aircraft are parked, unloaded or loaded, refueled or boarded. Although the use of the apron is covered by regulations, such as lighting on vehicles, it is typically more accessible to users than the runway or taxiway...
. The arrivals hall with passport control, luggage carousels, duty-free pick-up and customs
Customs
Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting and safeguarding customs duties and for controlling the flow of goods including animals, transports, personal effects and hazardous items in and out of a country...
was located at the south end of the building. The shuttle-buses transferred passengers and crews to and from the terminal to airplanes which were parked on the tarmac
Tarmac
Tarmac is a type of road surface. Tarmac refers to a material patented by Edgar Purnell Hooley in 1901...
over 500 meters (1,640 ft) away. After Terminal 3 opened, Terminal 1 was closed except for domestic flights to the airport in Eilat and government flights such as special immigrant flights from North America and Africa. Chartered flights organised by Nefesh B'Nefesh
Nefesh B'Nefesh
Nefesh B'Nefesh is an organization that encourages immigration by Jewish people to Israel from North America and the United Kingdom...
carrying immigrants from North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
use this terminal for their landing ceremonies several times a year.
Terminal 1 re-opened in 2007 as the domestic terminal following extensive renovations, and in July 2008, to cater for summer charter and low-cost flights. It remained open for these charter and low-cost flights for the 2008 summer season, with passengers checking-in and passing through security here, before being bussed to Terminal 3. The terminal closed temporarily in October 2008, when it underwent under further renovation and reopened again in Summer 2009, when it was expected to reach its three-month capacity of 600,000 passengers on international flights. As of 2010, several low-cost carriers' international flights were operating out of Terminal 1 year-round including Cimber Sterling
Cimber Sterling
Cimber Sterling A/S, still known as Cimber Air and styled as Cimber Sterling, is a Danish airline based in Sønderborg, Sønderborg Municipality, Denmark, operating scheduled domestic and international services in co-operation with Scandinavian Airlines and Lufthansa...
flights to Copenhagen
Copenhagen Airport
Copenhagen Airport is the main international airport serving Copenhagen, Denmark and the Oresund Region. It is located on the island of Amager, south of Copenhagen city centre, and west of Malmö city centre on the other side of the Oresund Bridge. The airport lies mainly in the municipality...
, Jet2.com
Jet2.com
Jet2.com Limited is a British low-cost airline based at Leeds Bradford Airport, England. It operates services from eight UK bases to 54 destinations. The airline also offers contract charter and air cargo services. Its main base and headquarters is at Leeds Bradford Airport, with smaller bases at...
flights to Manchester, Vueling flights to Barcelona and easyJet
EasyJet
EasyJet Airline Company Limited is a British airline headquartered at London Luton Airport. It carries more passengers than any other United Kingdom-based airline, operating domestic and international scheduled services on 500 routes between 118 European, North African, and West Asian airports...
flights to London
London Luton Airport
London Luton Airport is an international airport located east of the town centre in the Borough of Luton in Bedfordshire, England and is north of Central London. The airport is from Junction 10a of the M1 motorway...
(Luton), Geneva, and Basel
EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg
EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg is an international airport northwest of Basel , southeast of Mulhouse , and south of Freiburg . It is located in France, on the administrative territory of the commune of Saint-Louis near the Swiss and German borders...
. All other international flights operate out of Terminal 3.
Although Terminal 1 was closed between 2003 and 2007, the building served as a venue for various events and large-scale exhibitions including the "Bezalel Academy of Arts
Bezalel Academy of Art and Design
Bezalel Academy of Art and Design is Israel's national school of art, founded in 1906 by Boris Schatz. It is named for the Biblical figure Bezalel, son of Uri , who was appointed by Moses to oversee the design and construction of the Tabernacle ....
Centennial Exhibition" which was held there in 2006. There is now talk of keeping Terminal 1 open 24 hours a day in order to handle charter flights from Europe. The renovations for the terminal were designed by Yosef Assa with three individual atmospheric themes. Firstly, the public halls have a Land-of-Israel character with walls painted in the colors of Israel's Judean, Jerusalem and Galilee
Galilee
Galilee , is a large region in northern Israel which overlaps with much of the administrative North District of the country. Traditionally divided into Upper Galilee , Lower Galilee , and Western Galilee , extending from Dan to the north, at the base of Mount Hermon, along Mount Lebanon to the...
mountains. The Departure Hall is given an atmosphere of vacation and leisure, whilst the Arrivals Hall is given a more urban theme as passengers return back to the city.
In February 2006, the Israel Airports Authority
Israel Airports Authority
The Israel Airports Authority was founded in 1977 as a public corporation mandated by the Israel Airports Authority Law. The authority is responsible for the management of Israel's major civil airports and land-to-land border terminals between Israel and its neighbours...
announced plans to invest 4.3 million NIS
Israeli new sheqel
The Israeli New Shekel is the currency of the State of Israel. The shekel is divided into 100 agorot...
in a new VIP wing for private jet
Business jet
Business jet, private jet or, colloquially, bizjet is a term describing a jet aircraft, usually of smaller size, designed for transporting groups of up to 19 business people or wealthy individuals...
passengers and crews, as well as others interested in avoiding the main terminal. VIP ground services already exist, but a substantial increase in users has justified expanding the facilities, which will also boost airport revenues. The IAA released figures showing significant growth in private jet flights (4,059, a 36.5% increase from 2004) as well as private jet users (14,613, a 46.2% increase from 2004). The new VIP wing, operated by an outside licensee, will be located in an upgraded and expanded section of Terminal 1. All flight procedures (security check, passport control and customs) will be handled here. This wing will include a hall equipped for press conferences, a deluxe lounge, special meeting rooms equipped with state-of-the-art business facilities and a designated lounge for flight crews who spend time at the airport between flights. It was announced in January 2008, however, that the IAA planned to construct a new 1000sq metre VIP terminal next to Terminal 3.
Terminal 2
Terminal 2 was inaugurated in 1969 when Arkia resumed operations at the airport after the six-day warSix-Day War
The Six-Day War , also known as the June War, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt , Jordan, and Syria...
. Terminal 2 served domestic flights until 20 February 2007 when these services moved into the refurbished Terminal 1. Due to increased traffic in the late 1990s and over-capacity reached at Terminal 1, an international section was added until Terminal 3 was opened. Terminal 2 was slated to be demolished to make room for more freight areas until July 2007, when it was decided that the terminal would be converted into a special terminal for low-cost airlines.
Terminal 3
Terminal 3, which opened on 28 October 2004, replaced Terminal 1 as the main international gateway to and from Israel. The building was designed by Skidmore, Owings and MerrillSkidmore, Owings and Merrill
Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP is an American architectural and engineering firm that was formed in Chicago in 1936 by Louis Skidmore and Nathaniel Owings; in 1939 they were joined by John O. Merrill. They opened their first branch in New York City, New York in 1937. SOM is one of the largest...
(SOM). Moshe Safdie
Moshe Safdie
Moshe Safdie, CC, FAIA is an architect, urban designer, educator, theorist, and author. Born in the city of Haifa, then Palestine and now Israel, he moved with his family to Montreal, Canada, when he was 15 years old.-Career:...
& Associates and TRA (now Black and Veatch
Black & Veatch Corporation
Black & Veatch is a global engineering, consulting, construction and operations company specializing in infrastructure development in energy, water, telecommunications, management consulting, federal and environmental markets. Black & Veatch is the 11th largest majority Employee-Owned company in...
) designed a linking structure and the airside departure areas and gates. Ram Karmi
Ram Karmi
Ram Karmi is a leading Israeli architect. He is head of the Tel Aviv-based Ram Karmi Architects company, and is known for his Brutalist style.-Biography:Ram Karmi was born in Jerusalem, and grew up in Tel Aviv...
and other Israeli architects were the local architects of record. The inaugural flight was an El Al
El Al
El Al Israel Airlines Ltd , trading as El Al , is the flag carrier of Israel. It operates scheduled domestic and international services and cargo flights to Europe, North America, Africa and the Far East from its main base in Ben Gurion International Airport...
flight to John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport is an international airport located in the borough of Queens in New York City, about southeast of Lower Manhattan. It is the busiest international air passenger gateway to the United States, handling more international traffic than any other airport in North...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
The new terminal was built to serve over 10 million passengers per year. It could accommodate 16 million passengers a year with the addition of two concourses to the existing three. One additional concourse is currently in the planning stages, along with an expansion of the landside terminal. Due to the proximity of the airport to the country's largest population centres and the problem of noise pollution
Noise pollution
Noise pollution is excessive, displeasing human, animal or machine-created environmental noise that disrupts the activity or balance of human or animal life...
, another international airport is being considered to be built elsewhere in the country.
Pilgrim
A pilgrim is a traveler who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journeying to some place of special significance to the adherent of a particular religious belief system...
s expected for the Millennium celebrations
Great Jubilee
The Great Jubilee in 2000 was a major event in the Roman Catholic Church, held from December 24, 1999 to January 6, 2001. Like other previous Jubilee years, it was a celebration of the mercy of God and forgiveness of sins...
. This deadline was not met due to higher than anticipated costs and a series of work stoppages in the wake of the bankruptcy of the main Turkish contractor. The project eventually cost an estimated one billion US dollars.
Terminal 3 uses the Jetway
Jetway
A jet bridge is an enclosed, movable connector which extends from an airport terminal gate to an airplane, allowing passengers to board and disembark without having to go outside...
system. The overall layout is similar to that of airports in Europe and North America, with multiple levels and considerable distances to walk after disembarking from the aircraft. The walk is assisted by escalators and moving walkways. The ground floor departures hall, with an area of over 10,000 square metres (107,639 sq ft), is equipped with 110 check-in counters
Airport check-in
Airport check-in uses service counters found at commercial airports handling commercial air travel. The check-in is normally handled by an airline itself or a handling agent working on behalf of an airline...
and as well as Flight information display system
Flight information display system
A Flight Information Display system is a computer system used in airports to display flight information to passengers, in which a computer system controls mechanical or electronic display boards or TV screens in order to display arrivals and departures flight information in real-time. The displays...
s. A small shopping mall
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
, known as Buy & Bye, is open to both travellers and the general public. The mall, which includes shops, restaurants and a post office, was planned to be a draw for non-flyers too. On the same level as the mall, passengers enter passport control and the security check. Planes taking off and landing can be viewed from a distinctive tilted glass wall. Car rental
Car rental
A car rental or car hire agency is a company that rents automobiles for short periods of time for a fee...
counters are located in an intermediate level situated between the departing and arriving passenger halls. Terminal 3 has two synagogues.
After the main security check, passengers wait for their flights in the star-shaped duty-free rotunda. A variety of cafes, restaurants and duty-free shops are located there, open 24 hours a day, as well as a synagogue, banking facilities, a transit hall for connecting passengers and a desk for VAT
Value added tax
A value added tax or value-added tax is a form of consumption tax. From the perspective of the buyer, it is a tax on the purchase price. From that of the seller, it is a tax only on the "value added" to a product, material or service, from an accounting point of view, by this stage of its...
refunds.
Terminal 3 has a total of 30 gates divided among three concourses (B, C and D), each with 8 jetway-equipped gates (numbered 2 through 9) and 2 stand gates (bus bays, 1 and 1A) from which passengers are ferried to the aircraft. Almost all El Al flights utilize concourse D with other airlines using concourses B and C. Room exists for two additional concourses (A and E). Currently, the addition of concourse E is in the planning stages along with an expansion of the landside terminal. In March 2011, the government of Israel approved a budget of NIS 758 million (appx. US$215 million) for the construction of concourse E and its related facilities.
Free wireless internet
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
is provided throughout the terminal.
The terminal has three business lounges - the exclusive El Al
El Al
El Al Israel Airlines Ltd , trading as El Al , is the flag carrier of Israel. It operates scheduled domestic and international services and cargo flights to Europe, North America, Africa and the Far East from its main base in Ben Gurion International Airport...
King David Lounge for frequent flyers and two 'Dan' lounges for either privileged or paying flyers. In January 2007, the IAA announced plans for a 120-bed hotel at Terminal 3.
Terminal 4
This terminal, built in 1999, was meant to handle the crowds expected in 2000, but never officially opened. To date, it has only been used as a terminal for passengers arriving from AsiaAsia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
during the SARS epidemic.
Another use for the terminal was for the memorial ceremonies upon the arrival of the casket
Casket
A casket, or jewelry box is a term for a container that is usually larger than a box, and smaller than a chest, and in the past was typically decorated...
of Col. Ilan Ramon
Ilan Ramon
Ilan Ramon was a fighter pilot in the Israeli Air Force, and later the first Israeli astronaut....
after the Columbia disaster in February 2003 and the arrival of Elchanan Tenenbaum and the caskets of 3 Israeli soldiers from Lebanon in January 2004.
Administrative buildings
The head office of El AlEl Al
El Al Israel Airlines Ltd , trading as El Al , is the flag carrier of Israel. It operates scheduled domestic and international services and cargo flights to Europe, North America, Africa and the Far East from its main base in Ben Gurion International Airport...
is located at Ben Gurion Airport, as is the head office of the Israel Airports Authority
Israel Airports Authority
The Israel Airports Authority was founded in 1977 as a public corporation mandated by the Israel Airports Authority Law. The authority is responsible for the management of Israel's major civil airports and land-to-land border terminals between Israel and its neighbours...
. In addition, Israel Aerospace Industries also maintains its head office on airport grounds as well as extensive aviation construction and repair facilities.
Main runway
The closest runwayRunway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
to terminals 1 and 3 is 12/30, 3,112 meters (10,210 feet) in length, and is followed by a taxiway
Taxiway
A taxiway is a path on an airport connecting runways with ramps, hangars, terminals and other facilities. They mostly have hard surface such as asphalt or concrete, although smaller airports sometimes use gravel or grass....
. Most landing
Landing
thumb|A [[Mute Swan]] alighting. Note the ruffled feathers on top of the wings indicate that the swan is flying at the [[Stall |stall]]ing speed...
s take place on this runway from West to East, approaching from the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
over southern Tel Aviv. During inclement weather, it may also be used for takeoff
Takeoff
Takeoff is the phase of flight in which an aerospace vehicle goes from the ground to flying in the air.For horizontal takeoff aircraft this usually involves starting with a transition from moving along the ground on a runway. For balloons, helicopters and some specialized fixed-wing aircraft , no...
s (Direction 12). A 17 million NIS renovation project was completed in November 2007 which reinforced the runway and made it suitable for future wide-body aircraft
Wide-body aircraft
A wide-body aircraft is a large airliner with two passenger aisles, also known as a widebody aircraft or twin-aisle aircraft. The typical fuselage diameter is . In the typical wide-body economy cabin, passengers are seated seven to ten abreast, allowing a total capacity of 200 to 850 passengers...
such as the new Airbus A380
Airbus A380
The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine jet airliner manufactured by the European corporation Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS. It is the largest passenger airliner in the world. Due to its size, many airports had to modify and improve facilities to accommodate it...
. In September 2008, a new ILS
Instrument Landing System
An instrument landing system is a ground-based instrument approach system that provides precision guidance to an aircraft approaching and landing on a runway, using a combination of radio signals and, in many cases, high-intensity lighting arrays to enable a safe landing during instrument...
serving the runway was activated. The main runway has been temporarily closed since late 2011 in order to accommodate the extension of runway 03/21.
Short runway
In the past, the short runway, (direction 03/21), 1,780 meters (5,840 feet) in length, mainly served cargo aircraftCargo aircraft
A cargo aircraft is a fixed-wing aircraft designed or converted for the carriage of goods, rather than passengers. They are usually devoid of passenger amenities, and generally feature one or more large doors for the loading and unloading of cargo...
of the Israeli Air Force
Israeli Air Force
The Israeli Air Force is the air force of the State of Israel and the aerial arm of the Israel Defense Forces. It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Independence...
. As of late 2011 however, the runway is closed and most of the activity in the military apron to the east of the runway has been permanently relocated to Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel. Currently the runway is being rebuilt and and lengthened to over 9100 feet (2,773.7 m). When this work is completed in early 2014 the runway will be equipped with an ILS, and be placed into full commercial operation.
Quiet runway
The longest runway at the airfield, 4,062 meters (13,327 feet), and the main take off runway from east to west (Direction 08/26), referred to as "the quiet runway" since jets taking off in this direction produce less noise pollutionNoise pollution
Noise pollution is excessive, displeasing human, animal or machine-created environmental noise that disrupts the activity or balance of human or animal life...
for surrounding residents. This is the newest runway in the airport, built in the early 1970s. A 24 million NIS renovation project completed in February 2006 reinforced the runway and made it suitable for future wide-body aircraft
Wide-body aircraft
A wide-body aircraft is a large airliner with two passenger aisles, also known as a widebody aircraft or twin-aisle aircraft. The typical fuselage diameter is . In the typical wide-body economy cabin, passengers are seated seven to ten abreast, allowing a total capacity of 200 to 850 passengers...
such as the new Airbus A380
Airbus A380
The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine jet airliner manufactured by the European corporation Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS. It is the largest passenger airliner in the world. Due to its size, many airports had to modify and improve facilities to accommodate it...
.
Future runway configuration
The fact that the main runway and the quiet runway intersect near their western ends often creates a crisscross pattern between aircraft landing and taking off. This pattern reduces the amount of air traffic which can circulate in and out of the airport and has detrimental safety implications as well. To alleviate these issues, extensive works began in 2010 to construct new taxiways and lengthen the short and quiet runways. When all phases of construction are completed, runway 03/21 will become the main landing runway (usually heading from north to south), instead of runway 12/30 which will then be used on a secondary basis only. Most take offs will continue to take place from the quiet runway heading west. This configuration will enable a new approach pattern to and from the field, allowing simultaneous takeoffs and landings at most times of the day and more than double the number of aircraft movements which can be handled at peak times while increasing the level of air safety in and around the airport. The construction of several new taxiways between the existing runways and Terminal 3 will also significantly reduce taxiTaxiing
Taxiing refers to the movement of an aircraft on the ground, under its own power, in contrast to towing or push-back where the aircraft is moved by a tug...
times at the airport. The project will cost nearly 1 billion NIS and is scheduled to be completed by early 2014.
Security procedures
Airport security
Airport security refers to the techniques and methods used in protecting airports and aircraft from crime.Large numbers of people pass through airports. This presents potential targets for terrorism and other forms of crime due to the number of people located in a particular location...
. Security operates on several levels.
All cars, taxis, buses and trucks go through a preliminary security checkpoint
Border checkpoint
A border checkpoint is a place, generally between two countries, where travellers and/or goods are inspected. Authorization often is required to enter a country through its borders. Access-controlled borders often have a limited number of checkpoints where they can be crossed without legal...
before entering the airport compound. Armed guards
Security guard
A security guard is a person who is paid to protect property, assets, or people. Security guards are usually privately and formally employed personnel...
spot-check the vehicles by looking into cars, taxis and boarding buses, exchanging a few words with the driver and passengers. Armed security personnel stationed at the terminal entrances keep a close watch on those who enter the buildings. If someone arouses their suspicion or looks nervous, they may strike up a conversation to further assess the person's intent. Plainclothes
Undercover
Being undercover is disguising one's own identity or using an assumed identity for the purposes of gaining the trust of an individual or organization to learn secret information or to gain the trust of targeted individuals in order to gain information or evidence...
armed personnel patrol the area outside the building, and hidden surveillance cameras operate at all times. Inside the building, both uniformed and plainclothes security officers are on constant patrol. Departing passengers are personally questioned by security agents even before arriving at the check-in desk. This interview can last as little as a minute, or as long as an hour if a passenger is selected for additional screening. Luggage and body search
Strip search
A strip search is the stripping of a person to check for weapons or other contraband.-Legality of strip searches:...
es may be conducted. After the search, bags are placed through an X-ray machine
X-ray machine
An X-ray generator is a device used to generate X-rays. These devices are commonly used by radiographers to acquire an x-ray image of the inside of an object but they are also used in sterilization or fluorescence....
before passengers proceed to the check-in counters. Occasionally, if security have assessed a person as a low risk, they will pass them straight through to the check-in desks, bypassing the main x-ray machines.
Until August 2007 there was a system of color codes on checked luggage but the practice was discontinued after complaints of discrimination.
Baggage screening
The IAA is planning a major upgrade of checked baggage screening process in late 2011 whereby the screening of checked baggage will be performed "behind the scenes" after passenger baggage has been checked in (as is the practice in most airports). To that end, the IAA selected French company SafranSAFRAN
Safran is a French conglomerate involved in defense, aerospace propulsion and equipment, and security. It is the result of a merger between the propulsion and aerospace equipment group SNECMA and the defense conglomerate SAGEM. Its headquarters are located in Paris.The name Safran, literally...
to supply the most advanced x-ray/CT scanning machines currently available. The fully automatic system, together with an upgrade of the baggage handling system will cost NIS 375 million (appx. US$105 million) and will be fully installed by 2014. The current pre-check in baggage screening processes is at times a source of complaints from travelers, particularly foreigners and minorities who are often subjected to more stringent screenings; the envisioned process aims to make the check-in process quicker and more passenger-friendly as well as more secure since 100% of checked baggage will undergo screening, including baggage from passengers deemed to be low-risk who are currently sometimes allowed to proceed to check in without having their baggage x-rayed.
After check-in, checked baggage
Checked baggage
Checked baggage refers to items of luggage delivered to an airline or train for transportation in the hold of an aircraft or baggage car of a passenger train, which means it is inaccessible to the passenger during the flight/ride....
is put in a pressure chamber to trigger any possible explosive devices. Passengers continue through to personal security and passport control, as in other airports. Before passing through the metal detector
Metal detector
A metal detector is a device which responds to metal that may not be readily apparent.The simplest form of a metal detector consists of an oscillator producing an alternating current that passes through a coil producing an alternating magnetic field...
s and placing carry-on baggage through the X-ray machine at the security checkpoint, passports and boarding passes are re-inspected and additional questions may be asked. Before boarding the aircraft, passports and boarding passes are verified once again. Security procedures for incoming flights are not as stringent, but passengers may be questioned by passport control depending on country of origin
Country of origin
Country of origin , is the country of manufacture, production, or growth where an article or product comes from...
, or countries visited prior to arrival in Israel. Passengers who have recently visited countries at war with Israel (all Arab countries except Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, Mauritania
Mauritania
Mauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest...
and Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
) may be subject to further questioning.
Passenger rankings
In December 2006, Ben Gurion International Airport ranked first among 40 European airports and 8th out of 77 airports in the world, in a survey, conducted by Airports Council InternationalAirports Council International
Airports Council International is the association of the world’s airports. It is a non profit organization, whose prime purpose is to advance the interests of airports and to promote professional excellence in airport management and operations...
, to determine the most customer-friendly airport. Tel Aviv placed second in the grouping of airports which carry between 5 and 15 million passengers per year behind Japan's Nagoya Airport
Chubu Centrair International Airport
is an airport on an artificial island in Ise Bay, Tokoname City in Aichi Prefecture, south of Nagoya in central Japan.Centrair is classified as a first class airport and is the main international gateway for the Chūbu region of Japan...
. The survey consisted of 34 questions. A random sampling of 350 passengers at the departure gate were asked how satisfied they were with the service, infrastructure and facilities. Ben Gurion received a rating of 3.94 out of 5, followed by Vienna, Munich, Amsterdam, Brussels, Zurich, Copenhagen and Helsinki. The airport retained its title as the best Middle Eastern airport in the 2007 and 2008 surveys.
Traffic volume
| Year | Total passengers | Total operations |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 8,916,436 | |
| 2000 | 9,879,470 | 80,187 |
| 2001 | 8,349,657 | 69,226 |
| 2002 | 7,308,977 | 63,206 |
| 2003 | 7,392,026 | 61,202 |
| 2004 | 8,051,895 | 66,638 |
| 2005 | 8,917,421 | 70,139 |
| 2006 | 9,221,558 | 76,735 |
| 2007 | 10,526,562 | 84,568 |
| 2008 | 11,550,433 | 94,644 |
| 2009 | 10,925,970 | 89,442 |
| 2010 | 12,160,339 | 95,171 |
| 2011 (Jan-Oct only) |
10,600,000 | ? |
The airport's busiest year so far was 2010: 12,160,339 passengers passed through the airport (an increase of almost 10% over the previous year) on over 95,000 commercial operations. In 2006, the largest airlines on international routes were: El Al
El Al
El Al Israel Airlines Ltd , trading as El Al , is the flag carrier of Israel. It operates scheduled domestic and international services and cargo flights to Europe, North America, Africa and the Far East from its main base in Ben Gurion International Airport...
(40.6% of flights), Lufthansa
Lufthansa
Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating...
(4.16%), Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
(3.96%), Israir
Israir
Israir Airlines , usually referred to as Israir, is an airline based in Tel Aviv, Israel. It operates domestic scheduled and air taxi flights from Sde Dov Airport, Haifa Airport, Ben Gurion Airport and Eilat Airport, as well as international charter services from Ben Gurion International Airport,...
(3.85%) and Arkia (3.83%).
A steep rise in the number of domestic passengers using the airport is expected someday in the future in the wake of plans to close down Sde Dov Airport
Sde Dov Airport
Sde Dov Airport , also known as Dov Hoz Airport is an airport located in Tel Aviv, Israel which mainly handles scheduled domestic flights to Eilat and , northern Israel , and the Israeli Golan Heights. It is Tel Aviv's largest airport and the second largest in the area, after Ben Gurion...
(which currently handles more domestic passengers annually than TLV) and build luxury towers on the Sde Dov property. All commercial flights will be rerouted to Ben Gurion.
Access
Highway 1 (Israel)
Highway 1 , is the main highway connecting Tel Aviv with Jerusalem.-History:The section between Latrun and Jerusalem roughly follows an ancient path connecting Jaffa and Jerusalem...
, the main Jerusalem-Tel Aviv Highway and Highway 40
Highway 40 (Israel)
Highway 40 is a north-south intercity road in Israel. At 302 km long, it is the second longest highway in Israel, after Highway 90. The highway runs from Kfar Sava in the center of Israel to the Arabah in the south, serving as a main connection between central Israel and Be'er Sheva.-Route...
. The airport is accessible by car or public bus. Israel Railways
Israel Railways
Israel Railways is the principal passenger railway operating company in Israel, and is responsible for all inter-city and suburban rail way passenger and freight traffic in the country. All its lines are standard gauge. The network is centered in Israel's densely populated coastal plain, from...
operates train service from the airport
Airport rail link
An airport rail link is a service providing passenger rail transport from an airport to a nearby city; by mainline- or commuter trains, rapid transit, people mover or light rail...
to several parts of the country and taxi stands are located outside the arrivals building. A popular transportation option is a share taxi
Share taxi
A share taxi is a mode of transport that falls between taxis and conventional buses. These informal vehicles for hire are found throughout the world. They are smaller than buses, and usually take passengers on a fixed or semi-fixed route without timetables, usually leaving when all seats are filled...
van, known in Hebrew as a "monit sherut", going to Beer Sheva, Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
and Jerusalem.
Rail
Israel RailwaysIsrael Railways
Israel Railways is the principal passenger railway operating company in Israel, and is responsible for all inter-city and suburban rail way passenger and freight traffic in the country. All its lines are standard gauge. The network is centered in Israel's densely populated coastal plain, from...
operates the Ben Gurion Airport Railway Station, located in the lower level of Terminal 3. From this station passengers may head north-west to Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
, Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
and other destinations in the north, or south-east to Modi'in. The journey to Tel Aviv Savidor Central Railway Station takes about 18 minutes. Almost 3.3 million passengers used the railway line to and from the airport in 2009. The line to Modi'in is part of a new rail line
High-speed railway to Jerusalem
The high-speed railway to Jerusalem is a railway line from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Israel, under construction since 2001. It is set to be completed in 2017...
under construction from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem which is scheduled for completion in 2016. The service does not operate on Shabbat
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
and Jewish holiday
Jewish holiday
Jewish holidays are days observed by Jews as holy or secular commemorations of important events in Jewish history. In Hebrew, Jewish holidays and festivals, depending on their nature, may be called yom tov or chag or ta'anit...
s. The line to Nahariya
Nahariya
Nahariya is the northernmost coastal city in Israel, with an estimated population of 51,200.-History:Nahariya was founded by German Jewish immigrants from the Fifth Aliyah in the 1930s...
through Tel Aviv and Haifa runs 24 hours a day.
Bus or taxi
The airport is served by regular inter-city bus lines, limousine and private shuttle services, SherutShare taxi
A share taxi is a mode of transport that falls between taxis and conventional buses. These informal vehicles for hire are found throughout the world. They are smaller than buses, and usually take passengers on a fixed or semi-fixed route without timetables, usually leaving when all seats are filled...
"shared" door to door taxi vans and standard taxis. An Egged
Egged Bus Cooperative
Egged Israel Transport Cooperative Society Ltd , a cooperative owned by its members is the largest transit bus company in Israel. It provides about 55 % of public transport services throughout the country, employs 6,227 workers and has 2,861 buses for more than 928 service routes and 3,103...
#5 shuttle bus ferries passengers between the terminals and a small bus terminal in the nearby Airport City industrial/office park where they can connect to regular Egged bus routes passing through the area. Passengers connecting at Airport City can pay for both rides on the same ticket, not having to pay an extra fare for bus #5. Other bus companies directly serve Terminal 3, and the airport also provides a free shuttle bus between terminals.
Car
Located on Highway 1Highway 1 (Israel)
Highway 1 , is the main highway connecting Tel Aviv with Jerusalem.-History:The section between Latrun and Jerusalem roughly follows an ancient path connecting Jaffa and Jerusalem...
, the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway, the airport has a total of 11,300 parking space
Parking space
A parking space is a location that is designated for parking, either paved or unpaved.Parking spaces can be in a parking garage, in a parking lot or on a city street. It is usually designated by a white-paint-on-tar rectangle indicated by three lines at the top, left and right of the designated area...
s for short and long-term parking. The spaces for long-term parking are situated several kilometres from the terminal, and are reached by a free shuttle bus. Car rental at the airport is available from Avis, Budget, Eldan, Hertz and Sixt.
Airlines and destinations
Cargo airlines
Use in film
The airport was one point of interest in the 1986 Menahem GolanMenahem Golan
Menahem Golan is an Israeli director and producer. He has produced movies for such stars as Sean Connery, Sylvester Stallone, Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Charles Bronson, and was known for a period as a producer of comic book-style movies like Masters of the Universe, Superman IV:...
film, The Delta Force
The Delta Force (film)
The Delta Force is a 1986 American action film starring Chuck Norris and Lee Marvin as leaders of an elite squad of Special Forces troops based on the real life U.S. Army Delta Force unit. It was directed by Menahem Golan and featured Martin Balsam, Joey Bishop, Robert Vaughn, Steve James, Robert...
starring Chuck Norris
Chuck Norris
Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris is an American martial artist and actor. After serving in the United States Air Force, he began his rise to fame as a martial artist and has since founded his own school, Chun Kuk Do...
and the late Lee Marvin
Lee Marvin
Lee Marvin was an American film actor. Known for his gravelly voice, white hair and 6' 2" stature, Marvin at first did supporting roles, mostly villains, soldiers and other hardboiled characters, but after winning an Academy Award for Best Actor for his dual roles in Cat Ballou , he landed more...
. The scenes of the airport are the terrorists surrendering the women and children hostages and when they greet their families before the movie ends. The Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport
Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport
Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport is located 9 km from the city centre in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon and is the only operational commercial airport in the country. It is the hub for Lebanon's national carrier, Middle East Airlines...
and Athens International Airport scenes were also filmed here. However the interior of the Athens International Airport terminal was shot here and the exterior was shot in the defunct Ellinikon International Airport
Ellinikon International Airport
Ellinikon International Airport , sometimes spelled Hellinikon was the international airport of Athens, Greece for sixty years up until 2001 when it was replaced by the new Athens International Airport. It is located south of Athens, and just west of Glyfada...
.