Originally Posted by
worldiswide
Three hours is a bit much Id say 2-2.5 should be fine. You will have a security line, and then check in but there should be a premium line for check in. 5AM is actually the beginning of the busy time for the airport since 5-8 am is when most flights are leaving to make mid day connections in Europe, but you are at the beginning of the parade of the bleary eyed. With the new airport -several years ago - planes are boarded via jetway vs buses driven out to the planes so it can be a hike out to the gates
I disagree that having the planes accessible via jetways makes it a "hike out to the gates." It's not too bad at all.
5 AM is when planes start taking off again (really at 4:30) because of the curfew. Showing up at 2 AM is fine, but even 2:30-3 is fine. Any later and you're running into trouble, but that's my opinion on any airport. (A big deal is made out of Israeli security, which, while tight, does not really slow things down by hours. The only area which is slower is at the beginning where you need to scan your bag before checking it in, something I have to do in LAX as well.)