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EspañolBEN GURION INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
(Redirected from Ben Gurion Airport)
'Ben Gurion International Airport' or 'Ben Gurion Airport' (, ''Namal HaTe'ūfa Ben Gūryōn'', , ''maṭār Ben Ghuryon ad-dawlī'') , historically known as ''Lydda Airport'' and sometimes referred to today by its Hebrew acronym ''Natbag'' (), is the largest international airport in Israel.[1] It was known as 'Lod Airport' from 1948 until 1973, when the name was changed to honor Israel's first prime minister, David Ben Gurion.
The airport is near the town of Lod, 15 kilometers (9 mi) southeast of Tel Aviv. It is operated by the Israel Airports Authority, a government-owned corporation that manages all public airports and border crossings in the State of Israel.
Ben Gurion Airport is the hub of El Al Israel Airlines, Israir Airlines, Arkia Israel Airlines, and Sun D'Or. During the 1980s and 1990s, it was a focus city of the now-defunct Tower Air. Today, Terminal 3 is used for international flights, and Terminal 1 is used for domestic flights. The airport has three runways and is used by commercial, private, and military aircraft.
The airport is located on Highway 1, the main Jerusalem-Tel Aviv Highway, accessible by car or public bus. Both Egged and Dan bus companies ply this route. Israel Railways operates train service to and from the airport to certain parts of the country, and taxi stands are located outside the arrivals building. Another transportation option is the shared taxi van, known in Hebrew as a sherut, going to Beer Sheva, Haifa and Jerusalem.
Ben Gurion Airport is considered one of the world's most secure airports,[2][3] 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.
Ben Gurion International Airport started out in 1936 as ''Lydda Airport'', an airstrip of four concrete runways on the outskirts of the Arab town of Lydda. It was built by the British Mandate of Palestine, chiefly for military purposes.[4] The importance of the facility rose during World War II, as planes arrived from Europe, the Far East and other countries in the Middle East.
The first civilian transatlantic route, Tel Aviv-New York, was inaugurated by TWA in 1946. The British left the airport at the end of April 1948, and the soldiers of the Israel Defence Force captured it on July 10, 1948, in Operation Danny, transferring control to the newly declared State of Israel. Flights resumed on November 24, 1948.[5] 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 airstrip on the northern Tel Aviv coast. By the mid-1960s, 14 international airlines were landing at Lod Airport.
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 November 2, 2004.[6]
Initially, the departures check-in area was located on the ground floor. Passengers would proceed upstairs on to the main departures hall, which contained passport control, duty-free shops, VIP lounges, 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 the waiting shuttle-buses would transport them to their airplane on the tarmac. The arrivals hall with passport control, luggage carousels, duty-free pick-up, and customs was on the south end of the building. The shuttle-buses transferred passengers and crews to the terminal from the airplanes that parked on the tarmac over 500 meters (1,640 ft) away. After Terminal 3 opened, Terminal 1 was closed except for government flights such as special immigrant flights from North America and Africa.[7]
While Ben Gurion Airport has been a target of Palestinian militant groups, the adoption of strict security precautions 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 May 8, 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.[8] Later that month, on May 30, 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, Efraim Katzir, and a group of twenty Puerto Rican tourists who had just arrived in Israel.[9] 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.[10]
In 2006, the airport handled over 8.8 million international passengers (an increase of almost four percent from the previous year), and 405,000 domestic passengers. 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%).[11] A steep rise in the number of domestic passengers using the airport is expected in the wake of plans to close down Sde Dov airport and build luxury towers on the property. All commercial flights will be rerouted to Ben-Gurion.[12]
2000 was a record year for the volume of passengers at Ben Gurion International Airport. That year, over 9.3 million international and 577,000 domestic passengers passed through its gates.
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 International, 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.[13]
Terminal 1 has recently re-opened as the domestic terminal following extensive renovations.[14] While it was closed, 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.[15]
In February 2006, the Israel Airports Authority (IAA) 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.[16]
Due to high operational costs and thus high taxes at Terminal 3, it is forecasted that sometime in the future Terminal 1 will become re-active for international flights, only this time as a low-cost carrier terminal.
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. Passengers flying on the increasing number of low-cost airlines flying to Ben Gurion would check in and pass through security at Terminal 2, before being bussed to Terminal 3 for duty-free shopping.[17]
Terminal 3, which opened on October 28, 2004,[18] replaced Terminal 1 as the main international gateway to and from Israel. The building was designed by Black and Veatch, Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM), and Moshe Safdie, along with Ram Karmi and other Israeli architects. The inaugural flight was an El Al flight to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.
The new terminal is currently built to serve over 10 million passengers per year, although it could accommodate 16 million passengers a year with the addition of two concourses to the existing three. No future expansion is expected beyond this due to the proximity of the airport to the country's largest population centers and the problem of noise pollution. If necessary, another international airport is planned to be built elsewhere in the country.[19]
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 pilgrims 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 systems.[20] A small shopping mall, known as Buy & Bye, is open to both travelers and the general public. The mall, which includes shops, restaurants, and a post office, was also originally planned to be a draw in itself for non-flyers too, but after only a year, several stores closed for lack of profitability and while tenders for the empty stores are unanswered,[21] the future of this area is being reconsidered. 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 and a Muslim prayer room.[22]
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 banking facilities and a desk for VAT refunds.[23]
Terminal 3 has three concourses (B, C, and D), each leading to eight jetways (numbered 2 through 9). Each concourse is equipped with two bus bays (1 and 1A) from which passengers board the aircraft. Two additional concourses (A and E) will be built if passenger traffic warrants expansion. Free wireless internet is provided throughout the terminal.[24]
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.[25]
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 Asia during the SARS epidemic.[26]
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.
Ben Gurion International Airport is one of the world's most heavily secured airports.[2] Security operates on several levels.[28]
★ 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 and taxis, boarding buses, and 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.[29]
★ 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 five minutes, or as long as an hour if a passenger is selected for additional screening. Luggage and body searches may be conducted. After the search, bags are placed through an X-ray machine before passengers proceed to the check-in counters.
★ 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 detectors and placing hand baggage through the X-ray machine, passports are re-checked and additional questions may be asked. Before boarding the aircraft, passports and boarding passes are checked 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 Jordan, Egypt, and Mauritania) may be subject to further questioning.[30]
The closest runway to terminals 1 and 3 is 12/30, and is followed by a taxiway. Most landings take place on this runway from West to East, approaching from the Mediterranean Sea over southern Tel Aviv.[31] During inclement weather, it may also be used for takeoffs (Direction 12). This runway is currently undergoing renovation, meaning flights are having to approach the 'Quiet Runway' from the east for landings. This is causing disruption for the residents of the moshav of Bnei Atarot.[32]
In the past, the short runway mainly served cargo aircraft of the Israeli Air Force. Today it functions mostly as a get-ready lane for the Quiet Runway. Rarely, it is used for landing from north to south (Direction 21).[33]
The longest runway in the airfield, 3,600 meters (11,811 ft), and the main take off runway from east to west (Direction 26/08), referred to as "the quiet runway" since jets taking off in this direction produce less noise pollution 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.[34]
Main articles: Ben Gurion Airport Railway Station
Israel Railways operates the Ben Gurion Airport Railway Station, conveniently located in the lower level of Terminal 3. From this station passengers may head to Tel Aviv and destinations to the north.[35] The journey to Tel Aviv takes about fifteen minutes and costs 12 NIS (approx. US$2.80). Over a million passengers used the line in 2005.[36] Heading South from the station, two lines branch out, one heading towards Lod where connections can be made to southern destinations on the rail network, such as Be'er Sheva, Jerusalem, and Ashdod. The other line connects the station to Modi'in. The Modi'in line is part of a new rail line under construction from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem which is scheduled for completion in 2012.[37]
The airport is served by regular inter-city bus lines, a special airport shuttle with express service to Tel Aviv, Sherut "shared" door to door taxi vans, and standard taxis.[38] An Egged #5 shuttle bus ferries passengers between the terminals and a small bus terminal in the Airport City industrial 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 paying extra money for bus #5. Other bus companies directly serve Terminal 3, and the airport also provides a free shuttle bus.[39]
Located on Highway 1, the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway, the airport has a total of 11,300 parking spaces for short and long-term parking. The spaces for long-term parking are situated several kilometers from the terminal, and are reached by a free shuttle bus.[40]
All domestic flights are served by Terminal 1, while all international flights are served by Terminal 3.[41]
★ Adria Airways (Ljubljana)
★ Aerosvit Airlines (Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kiev-Boryspil, Lviv, Odessa, Simferopol)
★ Air Baltic (Riga)
★ Air Canada (Toronto-Pearson)
★ Air Europa (Barcelona)
★ Air France (Paris-Charles de Gaulle)
★ Air Sinai (Cairo)
★ Air Slovakia (Bratislava)
★ Alitalia (Milan-Malpensa, Rome-Fiumicino)
★ Arkia Israel Airlines (Amman, Dublin, Eilat, Larnaca, Ovda)
★ Armavia (Yerevan)
★ Austrian Airlines (Vienna)
★ Azerbaijan Airlines (Baku)
★ Axis Airways (Marseille)
★ Belavia (Minsk)
★ British Airways (London-Heathrow)
★ Brussels Airlines (Brussels)
★ Bulgaria Air (Sofia)
★ Continental Airlines (Newark)
★ Corendon Airlines (Antalya, Istanbul-Sabiha Gökçen)
★ Croatia Airlines (Dubrovnik, Zagreb)
★ Cyprus Airways (Larnaca)
★ Czech Airlines (Prague)
★ Delta Air Lines (Atlanta, New York-JFK [begins March 10, 2008])
★ El Al (Amsterdam, Athens, Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Barcelona, Beijing, Berlin-Schönefeld, Brussels, Bucharest-Otopeni, Budapest, Cairo, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Eilat, Frankfurt, Geneva, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Kyiv-Boryspil, London-Heathrow, London-Stansted, Los Angeles, Madrid, Marseille, Miami, Milan-Malpensa, Minsk, Montreal, Moscow-Domodedovo, Mumbai, Munich, New York-JFK, Newark, Odesa, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Prague, Rome-Fiumicino, St. Petersburg, Simferopol, Sofia, Toronto-Pearson, Vienna, Warsaw, Zurich)
★ Ethiopian Airlines (Addis Ababa)
★ Elbrus Avia
★ Eurocypria (Larnaca, Phapos) (seasonal)
★ Eurofly (Milan-Bergamo, Milan-Malpensa, Rome-Fiumicino, Verona)
★ Finnair (Helsinki) (seasonal)
★ Free Bird Airlines (Antalya)
★ Futura (Barcelona)
★ Georgian Airways (Tbilisi)
★ Hemus Air (Sofia)
★ Iberia (Barcelona, Madrid)
★ Israir (Eilat, New York-JFK, Ovda)
★ Jat Airways (Belgrade, Larnaca)
★ Jetairfly (Liege) [begins Winter, 2007]
★ KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (Amsterdam)
★ Korean Air (Seoul-Incheon) [begins April, 2008]
★ LOT Polish Airlines (Krakow, Warsaw)
★ Lufthansa (Frankfurt)
★ Malév Hungarian Airlines (Budapest)
★ Monarch Airlines (seasonal)
★ MyTravel Airways (seasonal)
★ Olympic Airlines (Athens)
★ Onur Air (Antalya, Budrom, Dalaman, Istanbul, Marmaris)
★ Romavia (Bucharest-Otopeni)
★ Rossiya (Moscow-Vnukovo, St. Petersburg)
★ Royal Jordanian (Amman)
★ Sabra Express (Stockholm-Arlanda)
★ Sayakhat Airlines (Almaty)
★ Sky Airlines (Antalya)
★ Sun D'Or
★ Swiss International Air Lines (Zürich)
★ TAROM (Bucharest-Otopeni)
★ Thomsonfly (London-Luton, Manchester) [begins November 1, 2007[42]]
★ Transaero (Moscow-Domodedovo, Moscow-Sheremetyevo [begins Autumn, 2007/Pending Government Approval])
★ Transavia Airlines (Amsterdam)
★ Travel Service (Budapest)
★ TUIfly (Berlin-Tegel, Cologne/Bonn, Munich)
★ Turkish Airlines (Istanbul-Atatürk)
★ Uzbekistan Airways (Tashkent)
★ Windjet (Rome-Fiumicino)
★ XL Airways (London-Gatwick, London-Luton, Manchester) (seasonal)
★ CAL Cargo Air Lines
★ DHL (European Air Transport)
★ El Al Cargo
★ FedEx
★ Korean Air Cargo
★ Royal Jordanian Cargo
★ Swiss WorldCargo
★ United Parcel Service
★ Israel Airports Authority
★ Lod, Israel
★ Tel Aviv, Israel
★ Hiriya
★ List of RAF stations
1. IAA Israel Airports Authority
2. What Israeli security could teach us
3. Ben-Gurion International Airport
4. Ben Gurion Airoprt- The 30's
5. Ben Gurion Airoprt- The 40's
6. Ben Gurion
7. Ben Gurion Airport
8.
9. 1972: Japanese kill 26 at Tel Aviv airport
10. Israel frees 1,150 to obtain release of last 3 soldiers Paul Lewis
11. Israel Airports Authority: number of overseas air travelers up 3.6% in 2006
12.
13. Ben Gurion ranks first in airport survey Avi Krawitz
14. End of an Era – The Historic Terminal 1 has Reopened, Serving Passengers on Domestic Flights
15. Transportation Ministry recommends unlimited airline competition
16. Israel Airports Authority to Build a Special Terminal for Executive and Private Flights at Ben Gurion Airport
17. Old Ben Gurion terminal to serve cheap flight operators
18. Address by PM Sharon at inauguration of Ben Gurion Airport 2000
19. Facts and Figures
20. Check-In Hall
21. Tenders for stores at Buy and Bye shopping area
22. Muslim prayer room set up at Ben-Gurion Airport
23. Tel Aviv – Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) Information
24. Free Wi-Fi in Airports
25. A BOT tender to be published for Ben Gurion hotel
26. Ministry begins checking for SARS at Ben-Gurion Michael Strongin
27. What Israeli security could teach us
28. Is This What We Really Want?
29. What can we learn from Ben Gurion Airport in Israel to help push aviation security in the U.S. to the next level?
30.
31. Ben Gurion Airport
32.
33. A-Z World Airports Online. Tel Aviv - Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV/LLBG). Retrieved on 2007-07-24.
34. Renovation of Runway 26-08 Completed; Became Operative on Sunday, February 26
35. Ben-Gurion Airport Station
36. Natbag Line
37. Panacea or pain? Orit Afra
38. Guidelines for Taxi Passengers
39. Public Transportation
40. Parking Lots
41. Airlines
42. Thomsonfly launches first low-fare flights to Tel Aviv
★ Ben Gurion International Airport
★ Israeli Aviation Charts for flight simulation (including Ben Gurion)
'Ben Gurion International Airport' or 'Ben Gurion Airport' (, ''Namal HaTe'ūfa Ben Gūryōn'', , ''maṭār Ben Ghuryon ad-dawlī'') , historically known as ''Lydda Airport'' and sometimes referred to today by its Hebrew acronym ''Natbag'' (), is the largest international airport in Israel.[1] It was known as 'Lod Airport' from 1948 until 1973, when the name was changed to honor Israel's first prime minister, David Ben Gurion.
The airport is near the town of Lod, 15 kilometers (9 mi) southeast of Tel Aviv. It is operated by the Israel Airports Authority, a government-owned corporation that manages all public airports and border crossings in the State of Israel.
Ben Gurion Airport is the hub of El Al Israel Airlines, Israir Airlines, Arkia Israel Airlines, and Sun D'Or. During the 1980s and 1990s, it was a focus city of the now-defunct Tower Air. Today, Terminal 3 is used for international flights, and Terminal 1 is used for domestic flights. The airport has three runways and is used by commercial, private, and military aircraft.
The airport is located on Highway 1, the main Jerusalem-Tel Aviv Highway, accessible by car or public bus. Both Egged and Dan bus companies ply this route. Israel Railways operates train service to and from the airport to certain parts of the country, and taxi stands are located outside the arrivals building. Another transportation option is the shared taxi van, known in Hebrew as a sherut, going to Beer Sheva, Haifa and Jerusalem.
Ben Gurion Airport is considered one of the world's most secure airports,[2][3] 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.
History
Historical map of Lydda Airport
Ben Gurion International Airport started out in 1936 as ''Lydda Airport'', an airstrip of four concrete runways on the outskirts of the Arab town of Lydda. It was built by the British Mandate of Palestine, chiefly for military purposes.[4] The importance of the facility rose during World War II, as planes arrived from Europe, the Far East and other countries in the Middle East.
The first civilian transatlantic route, Tel Aviv-New York, was inaugurated by TWA in 1946. The British left the airport at the end of April 1948, and the soldiers of the Israel Defence Force captured it on July 10, 1948, in Operation Danny, transferring control to the newly declared State of Israel. Flights resumed on November 24, 1948.[5] 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 airstrip on the northern Tel Aviv coast. By the mid-1960s, 14 international airlines were landing at Lod Airport.
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 November 2, 2004.[6]
Operation of the old terminal
Sculpture of David Ben Gurion at Ben Gurion International Airport, named in his honor
Initially, the departures check-in area was located on the ground floor. Passengers would proceed upstairs on to the main departures hall, which contained passport control, duty-free shops, VIP lounges, 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 the waiting shuttle-buses would transport them to their airplane on the tarmac. The arrivals hall with passport control, luggage carousels, duty-free pick-up, and customs was on the south end of the building. The shuttle-buses transferred passengers and crews to the terminal from the airplanes that parked on the tarmac over 500 meters (1,640 ft) away. After Terminal 3 opened, Terminal 1 was closed except for government flights such as special immigrant flights from North America and Africa.[7]
Terrorist incidents
While Ben Gurion Airport has been a target of Palestinian militant groups, the adoption of strict security precautions 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 May 8, 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.[8] Later that month, on May 30, 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, Efraim Katzir, and a group of twenty Puerto Rican tourists who had just arrived in Israel.[9] 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.[10]
The airport today
| 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 |
In 2006, the airport handled over 8.8 million international passengers (an increase of almost four percent from the previous year), and 405,000 domestic passengers. 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%).[11] A steep rise in the number of domestic passengers using the airport is expected in the wake of plans to close down Sde Dov airport and build luxury towers on the property. All commercial flights will be rerouted to Ben-Gurion.[12]
2000 was a record year for the volume of passengers at Ben Gurion International Airport. That year, over 9.3 million international and 577,000 domestic passengers passed through its gates.
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 International, 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.[13]
Terminals
Terminal 1
Terminal 1, now used for domestic flights
Terminal 1 has recently re-opened as the domestic terminal following extensive renovations.[14] While it was closed, 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.[15]
In February 2006, the Israel Airports Authority (IAA) 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.[16]
Due to high operational costs and thus high taxes at Terminal 3, it is forecasted that sometime in the future Terminal 1 will become re-active for international flights, only this time as a low-cost carrier terminal.
Terminal 2
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. Passengers flying on the increasing number of low-cost airlines flying to Ben Gurion would check in and pass through security at Terminal 2, before being bussed to Terminal 3 for duty-free shopping.[17]
Terminal 3
Terminal 3 Arrivals Hall
Concourse B of Terminal 3
Ben Gurion Airport duty-free shopping rotunda
Terminal 3, which opened on October 28, 2004,[18] replaced Terminal 1 as the main international gateway to and from Israel. The building was designed by Black and Veatch, Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM), and Moshe Safdie, along with Ram Karmi and other Israeli architects. The inaugural flight was an El Al flight to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.
The new terminal is currently built to serve over 10 million passengers per year, although it could accommodate 16 million passengers a year with the addition of two concourses to the existing three. No future expansion is expected beyond this due to the proximity of the airport to the country's largest population centers and the problem of noise pollution. If necessary, another international airport is planned to be built elsewhere in the country.[19]
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 pilgrims 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 systems.[20] A small shopping mall, known as Buy & Bye, is open to both travelers and the general public. The mall, which includes shops, restaurants, and a post office, was also originally planned to be a draw in itself for non-flyers too, but after only a year, several stores closed for lack of profitability and while tenders for the empty stores are unanswered,[21] the future of this area is being reconsidered. 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 and a Muslim prayer room.[22]
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 banking facilities and a desk for VAT refunds.[23]
Terminal 3 has three concourses (B, C, and D), each leading to eight jetways (numbered 2 through 9). Each concourse is equipped with two bus bays (1 and 1A) from which passengers board the aircraft. Two additional concourses (A and E) will be built if passenger traffic warrants expansion. Free wireless internet is provided throughout the terminal.[24]
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.[25]
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 Asia during the SARS epidemic.[26]
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.
Security
Ben Gurion International Airport is one of the world's most heavily secured airports.[2] Security operates on several levels.[28]
★ 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 and taxis, boarding buses, and 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.[29]
★ 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 five minutes, or as long as an hour if a passenger is selected for additional screening. Luggage and body searches may be conducted. After the search, bags are placed through an X-ray machine before passengers proceed to the check-in counters.
Ben Gurion International Airport as seen from above
★ 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 detectors and placing hand baggage through the X-ray machine, passports are re-checked and additional questions may be asked. Before boarding the aircraft, passports and boarding passes are checked 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 Jordan, Egypt, and Mauritania) may be subject to further questioning.[30]
Runways
Main runway
The closest runway to terminals 1 and 3 is 12/30, and is followed by a taxiway. Most landings take place on this runway from West to East, approaching from the Mediterranean Sea over southern Tel Aviv.[31] During inclement weather, it may also be used for takeoffs (Direction 12). This runway is currently undergoing renovation, meaning flights are having to approach the 'Quiet Runway' from the east for landings. This is causing disruption for the residents of the moshav of Bnei Atarot.[32]
Short runway
In the past, the short runway mainly served cargo aircraft of the Israeli Air Force. Today it functions mostly as a get-ready lane for the Quiet Runway. Rarely, it is used for landing from north to south (Direction 21).[33]
Quiet runway
The longest runway in the airfield, 3,600 meters (11,811 ft), and the main take off runway from east to west (Direction 26/08), referred to as "the quiet runway" since jets taking off in this direction produce less noise pollution 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.[34]
Accessibility
Platform 1 of the airport train station at Terminal 3
Rail
Main articles: Ben Gurion Airport Railway Station
Israel Railways operates the Ben Gurion Airport Railway Station, conveniently located in the lower level of Terminal 3. From this station passengers may head to Tel Aviv and destinations to the north.[35] The journey to Tel Aviv takes about fifteen minutes and costs 12 NIS (approx. US$2.80). Over a million passengers used the line in 2005.[36] Heading South from the station, two lines branch out, one heading towards Lod where connections can be made to southern destinations on the rail network, such as Be'er Sheva, Jerusalem, and Ashdod. The other line connects the station to Modi'in. The Modi'in line is part of a new rail line under construction from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem which is scheduled for completion in 2012.[37]
Bus or taxi
The airport is served by regular inter-city bus lines, a special airport shuttle with express service to Tel Aviv, Sherut "shared" door to door taxi vans, and standard taxis.[38] An Egged #5 shuttle bus ferries passengers between the terminals and a small bus terminal in the Airport City industrial 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 paying extra money for bus #5. Other bus companies directly serve Terminal 3, and the airport also provides a free shuttle bus.[39]
Car
Located on Highway 1, the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway, the airport has a total of 11,300 parking spaces for short and long-term parking. The spaces for long-term parking are situated several kilometers from the terminal, and are reached by a free shuttle bus.[40]
Airlines and destinations
All domestic flights are served by Terminal 1, while all international flights are served by Terminal 3.[41]
★ Adria Airways (Ljubljana)
★ Aerosvit Airlines (Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kiev-Boryspil, Lviv, Odessa, Simferopol)
★ Air Baltic (Riga)
★ Air Canada (Toronto-Pearson)
★ Air Europa (Barcelona)
★ Air France (Paris-Charles de Gaulle)
★ Air Sinai (Cairo)
★ Air Slovakia (Bratislava)
★ Alitalia (Milan-Malpensa, Rome-Fiumicino)
★ Arkia Israel Airlines (Amman, Dublin, Eilat, Larnaca, Ovda)
★ Armavia (Yerevan)
★ Austrian Airlines (Vienna)
★ Azerbaijan Airlines (Baku)
★ Axis Airways (Marseille)
★ Belavia (Minsk)
★ British Airways (London-Heathrow)
★ Brussels Airlines (Brussels)
★ Bulgaria Air (Sofia)
★ Continental Airlines (Newark)
★ Corendon Airlines (Antalya, Istanbul-Sabiha Gökçen)
★ Croatia Airlines (Dubrovnik, Zagreb)
★ Cyprus Airways (Larnaca)
★ Czech Airlines (Prague)
★ Delta Air Lines (Atlanta, New York-JFK [begins March 10, 2008])
★ El Al (Amsterdam, Athens, Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Barcelona, Beijing, Berlin-Schönefeld, Brussels, Bucharest-Otopeni, Budapest, Cairo, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Eilat, Frankfurt, Geneva, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Kyiv-Boryspil, London-Heathrow, London-Stansted, Los Angeles, Madrid, Marseille, Miami, Milan-Malpensa, Minsk, Montreal, Moscow-Domodedovo, Mumbai, Munich, New York-JFK, Newark, Odesa, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Prague, Rome-Fiumicino, St. Petersburg, Simferopol, Sofia, Toronto-Pearson, Vienna, Warsaw, Zurich)
★ Ethiopian Airlines (Addis Ababa)
★ Elbrus Avia
★ Eurocypria (Larnaca, Phapos) (seasonal)
★ Eurofly (Milan-Bergamo, Milan-Malpensa, Rome-Fiumicino, Verona)
★ Finnair (Helsinki) (seasonal)
★ Free Bird Airlines (Antalya)
★ Futura (Barcelona)
★ Georgian Airways (Tbilisi)
★ Hemus Air (Sofia)
★ Iberia (Barcelona, Madrid)
★ Israir (Eilat, New York-JFK, Ovda)
★ Jat Airways (Belgrade, Larnaca)
★ Jetairfly (Liege) [begins Winter, 2007]
★ KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (Amsterdam)
★ Korean Air (Seoul-Incheon) [begins April, 2008]
★ LOT Polish Airlines (Krakow, Warsaw)
★ Lufthansa (Frankfurt)
★ Malév Hungarian Airlines (Budapest)
★ Monarch Airlines (seasonal)
★ MyTravel Airways (seasonal)
★ Olympic Airlines (Athens)
★ Onur Air (Antalya, Budrom, Dalaman, Istanbul, Marmaris)
★ Romavia (Bucharest-Otopeni)
★ Rossiya (Moscow-Vnukovo, St. Petersburg)
★ Royal Jordanian (Amman)
★ Sabra Express (Stockholm-Arlanda)
★ Sayakhat Airlines (Almaty)
★ Sky Airlines (Antalya)
★ Sun D'Or
★ Swiss International Air Lines (Zürich)
★ TAROM (Bucharest-Otopeni)
★ Thomsonfly (London-Luton, Manchester) [begins November 1, 2007[42]]
★ Transaero (Moscow-Domodedovo, Moscow-Sheremetyevo [begins Autumn, 2007/Pending Government Approval])
★ Transavia Airlines (Amsterdam)
★ Travel Service (Budapest)
★ TUIfly (Berlin-Tegel, Cologne/Bonn, Munich)
★ Turkish Airlines (Istanbul-Atatürk)
★ Uzbekistan Airways (Tashkent)
★ Windjet (Rome-Fiumicino)
★ XL Airways (London-Gatwick, London-Luton, Manchester) (seasonal)
Cargo airlines
★ CAL Cargo Air Lines
★ DHL (European Air Transport)
★ El Al Cargo
★ FedEx
★ Korean Air Cargo
★ Royal Jordanian Cargo
★ Swiss WorldCargo
★ United Parcel Service
See also
★ Israel Airports Authority
★ Lod, Israel
★ Tel Aviv, Israel
★ Hiriya
★ List of RAF stations
References
1. IAA Israel Airports Authority
2. What Israeli security could teach us
3. Ben-Gurion International Airport
4. Ben Gurion Airoprt- The 30's
5. Ben Gurion Airoprt- The 40's
6. Ben Gurion
7. Ben Gurion Airport
8.
9. 1972: Japanese kill 26 at Tel Aviv airport
10. Israel frees 1,150 to obtain release of last 3 soldiers Paul Lewis
11. Israel Airports Authority: number of overseas air travelers up 3.6% in 2006
12.
13. Ben Gurion ranks first in airport survey Avi Krawitz
14. End of an Era – The Historic Terminal 1 has Reopened, Serving Passengers on Domestic Flights
15. Transportation Ministry recommends unlimited airline competition
16. Israel Airports Authority to Build a Special Terminal for Executive and Private Flights at Ben Gurion Airport
17. Old Ben Gurion terminal to serve cheap flight operators
18. Address by PM Sharon at inauguration of Ben Gurion Airport 2000
19. Facts and Figures
20. Check-In Hall
21. Tenders for stores at Buy and Bye shopping area
22. Muslim prayer room set up at Ben-Gurion Airport
23. Tel Aviv – Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) Information
24. Free Wi-Fi in Airports
25. A BOT tender to be published for Ben Gurion hotel
26. Ministry begins checking for SARS at Ben-Gurion Michael Strongin
27. What Israeli security could teach us
28. Is This What We Really Want?
29. What can we learn from Ben Gurion Airport in Israel to help push aviation security in the U.S. to the next level?
30.
31. Ben Gurion Airport
32.
33. A-Z World Airports Online. Tel Aviv - Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV/LLBG). Retrieved on 2007-07-24.
34. Renovation of Runway 26-08 Completed; Became Operative on Sunday, February 26
35. Ben-Gurion Airport Station
36. Natbag Line
37. Panacea or pain? Orit Afra
38. Guidelines for Taxi Passengers
39. Public Transportation
40. Parking Lots
41. Airlines
42. Thomsonfly launches first low-fare flights to Tel Aviv
External links
★ Ben Gurion International Airport
★ Israeli Aviation Charts for flight simulation (including Ben Gurion)
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