entropy

Then we're going to have to agree to disagree there...

They already fly int'l tourist traffic into ETH. I object to wasting billions of shekels on an unnecessary airport. Is the gov't going to recover that cost via fees on a "low cost" airport? Is the gov't going to recover that cost through the vAT that they are leaving on the table by being one of the only countries in the world that doesn't tax hotel rooms for foreigners?

There's nothing you can't do from Ramon that couldn't be done from ETH. The airport can handle a beast like a 753. And its not like driving 20 minutes away is going to get you that close to any population center.

An airport in Haifa with access to the train, a real city, and catchment throughout the North and upper center area would be much more useful.

You can fly plenty of LCC's for a reasonable fare from TLV.

NYTA

Actually the runway at the new Ramon airport is designed to handle 747s and other large aircraft so that it can effectively serve as an "Alternate" airport for TLV in case of bad weather (including raining rockets?) Currently when TLV is closed, aircraft have to divert to Cyprus or Jordan.

sabbasolo

From what I have heard, the main function of Ramon is to provide money and jobs for the IAA - the alternate airport is a cover story. How much would it cost to build a terminal at OVDA (VDA/LLOV) ? In many countries including the USA miiltary and civilian airports share runways, even at air bases with nuclear missiles. It seems to me that the IAA interests and to some extent those of the military just override the national interest. LLBG has no weather to speak of, ground radar, and there is already one Cat II ILS with a minimum of 100' ceiling and only 350m visibility required. Even during "war", airports continue to share - look at Malta during Libyan operations, or Saigon throughout the Vietnam war.

LY777

Thanks clubman.

FlyingELAL

ETH is not a real int'l airport, it simply cannot handle 747s and moreover doesn't have enough parking spaces for aircrafts - and even if it had, the terminal is very small, there is almost no room for cabs and buses in front of it and certrainly there is no additional services needed (such rental cars, escorted passengers etc.) and I can go on with the list of necessities from a big int'l airport.

I agree with you about Haifa - an international airport in Haifa could have been a very good idea. But, the government has decided to build the second international airport in the southern part of the country, we can not change that, it's already happening on the ground. The government is not a commercial body that needs to recover its funds via fees or something else, but rather to invest in infrastructures in the country that can benefit and stimulate civilian activity in the country.

I don't want to roam to other issues, so let me focus - all I'm trying is just to point out one thing: This airport can stimulate the air traffic in Israel. Airport fees will be much lower than TLV, that should attract int'l airlines there. Add to that that there is already a very stable domestic air service to Eilat, I can see an opportunity here for int'l traffic going in/out Israel (not Eilat) through Ramon, fed mostly by domestic flights (which will be even more frequent), and partially by buses/shuttles, to the benefit of tourists whom seek a low air-fare to Israel or Israelis seeking low air-fare abroad.

I'll relate to Ovda: There is a civilian terminal in Ovda, as you probably know. Ovda is situated in nowhere - Ramon is situated on a main hwy (hwy 90), many buses (and the train, in the future) go through this highway. Additionally, Ramon is MUCH closer to Eilat than Ovda (15km vs 60km) and Ovda does not serve domestic air traffic (or ground traffic...) so transiting to a domestic flight is not trivial at all. Eilat needs an airport that has int'l and domestic air traffic, as it was until the 1990s in ETH (afterwards ETH just became too small).

Second thing, the reason of building the airport has nothing to do with IAA interests. Building a second int'l airport was a subject of which national government and parliament committees discussed since the 1990s, and of the Ministry of Transportation which is in charge of building the national plan for air transportation . IAA is just a contractor physically managing the facilities, it has nothing to do with the strategy nor with selecting a location for it.

flymeoutofhere

Saw some impressive images of the new Ramon Airport here. With the airport due to open in 8 months or less, is there any further news about which carriers are likely to serve it? And what's the future plan for Eilat city airport?

joshwex90

Still looks like a desert wasteland (plus an air control tower) when driving past there. Those pictures are nice, but knowing Israeli building pace, 8 months seems like a pipe dream

EricR111

The problem with a major airport in Haifa is (a) the Carmel Mountains (b) the cost of extending a runway into the Mediterranean, and (c) where are you going to find space for the parking and the expanded terminal that you need.

I think the IAA had the right idea for Haifa 10 years ago, when the thought was to extend the runway to 1500m (4921') and just buy up a few nearby industrial properties. This would have made Haifa an airport like LCY -- regional jets could have flown flights up to 800 nm or so. This would have allowed flights to IST (and thus connections on TK to Asia, which is especially important for those tech folks), ATH, and to vacation spots like Antalya, Rhodes, Varna and Burgas.

This would not end the need for a second major international airport, but they could delay it for a few years.

As far as making Ramat David into a civilian airport? Really? Israel is facing 100,000 rockets from Hezbollah and they are going to convert their major air force base in the north a civilian airport? I cannot believe it.

sabbasolo

No-one is talking about converting Ramat David to civilian use exclusively, just to share like many many airports all over the world. During the Libyan war, I flew in a light aircraft to Malta, and we landed and took off among military aircraft who were in full combat mode. The only accomodation necessary was for them to communicate on VHF until they reached an altitude of a few thousand feet, before switching to tactical communications on UHF. In a crisis, civilian takeoffs could be delayed 15 minutes during which all the military aircraft at Ramat David could take-off if they wished.

America has nuclear armed aircraft stationed at combined civilian and military use airports...

EricR111

I understand the idea of mixed military civilian airports, having flown into one myself many years ago.

The difference is that nobody really expects airports like the one in Malta to face prolonged combat.

If Israel has a war with Hezbollah, you can expect the war to last several weeks while Israel crushes them. I would expect that the Ramat David airport would then be used only by the military for a long time.

With regards to a different city - I would think within 10 years or so, you will need yet another airport -- one around Beersheba. It is about 90 km from Ben Gurion, and the population in that area is growing fast.

joshwex90

With a high speed train, I can't fathom a reason why Be'er Sheva would require an airport, international or domestic. In theory if the population grew exponentially, sure. But the entire State of Israel stands around 8,000,000 people

EricR111

There are 300,000 in and around Beersheba now; there will be 400,000-500,000 in 10 years. Like with Haifa, building a "regional" international airport (one with flights of 1,500 km or less to reach hubs in Athens and Istanbul, as well as vacation spots), will take a lot of pressure off Ben Gurion.

Even here in the USA, where we are used to big distances, having airports within 90-100 km of each other - which are considered to service separate cities - are not uncommon (Boston/Providence/Manchester, Cleveland/Canton-Akron, Cincinnati/Dayton, all come to mind).

nombody

https://www.globes.co.il/en/article-...016-1001215366

Just wondering if any carriers have announced flights yet in 2018 for this airport or will they just transfer their existing VDA traffic? And what is the Airport code going to be anyway?

Ditto

As a starter all flights from VDA and ETH will move there, the IATA code will be ETM

BATLV

Reviewing some older comments on this one - It makes indeed little to no sense to make the trip to ETM from central Israel:
1) Enough LCC flights out of TLV that are only slightly more expense
2) Connection in TLV is horrible and lengthy
3) Taking a bus to ETM - one can only hope that it will not involve a bus to Eilat and a connection to a bus from Eilat to ETM
4) Poor pre-flight experience - limited shopping, no jetways in 40 degrees heat.

So, overall this seems to be a real estate project to vacate real estate occupied by ETH.