In view of the expected growth in passenger and airplane traffic, Ben Gurion Airport will be extended tn the north by 1,300 dunam (325 acres) to include another runway. The extension will cost NIS 4 billion.
Passenger traffic in international flights in 2017 is projected to exceed the 20 million mark (passenger traffic is measured as the number of passengers on outward and inward flights). The Israel Airports Authority predicts that growth in passenger traffic will continue, with traffic reaching 30 million passengers annually in the next decade. At the same time, a new cargo area will be built in the northern part of the airport that will increase the passenger capacity of Terminal 1, which was reopened six months ago and has since been used for internal and low-cost flights. The aim is to increase the number of passengers that the terminal can handle, especially after Sde Dov Airport is closed. The number of passengers passing through Terminal 1 is expected to reach six million a year, compared with three million a year at present.
The rising volume of online shopping, which includes millions of packages passing through Ben Gurion Airport, also requires preparation. 10 million packages are expected to reach Ben Gurion Airport in December alone, and expanding the cargo area will therefore change the way air cargoes are flown at Ben Gurion Airport. The northward expansion plan distinguishes between the handling of passengers and cargoes. This separation will be made possible by moving plants producing food for planes to the western part of Terminal 3.
A facility for cargo, logistic space, and airplane maintenance is planned in the northern part of Ben Gurion Airport. In the areas in Terminal 1 currently used for cargo, which will become available, new parking spaces for airplanes will be paved. Extending the airport to the north involves using up all the construction rights for Ben Gurion Airport, making an alternative international airport a necessity.
The new plan is located north of takeoff runways 08-26 and south of Highways 461 and 412. The plan also includes the construction of a new entrance to Ben Gurion Airport from Highway 46, which will be a direct link to the new cargo area.
The plan, which will be carried out in stages, includes "compensation" for residents of the area who will be affected by airplane traffic - a 100-dunam (25-acre) open park in the Yehud-Monosson and Or Yehuda area. At the same time, construction of branch E at Ben Gurion Airport, with eight boarding and disembarking ramps, will be completed by the end of the year.
Published by Globes [online], Israel Business News - www.globes-online.com - on December 13, 2017
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