Airports of Tel Aviv. Tel-Aviv, Ben-Gurion

In Israel, the airports are divided into military and civil airports . There are still small air strips belonging to private clubs, and hubs used for agriculture. There are only four international airports in the country (which is not so little, based on the modest state size). The air gate of Israel in the south is Eilat Uvda. It is located directly in the city. Now work is under way to build a new terminal at the site of the military air base. Hub Haifa is located at a distance of five kilometers from the city center, near the seaport. But you can also approach it by bus (No. 58). The hub takes mainly domestic flights and charters to neighboring northern countries: Jordan, Cyprus, Turkey. In this article we will consider the airports of Tel Aviv: Ben Gurion and Sde-Dov. The latter should be closed for two years.

Sde-Dov

The Hebrew phrase "שדה התעופה דב" literally means "the flying field of Dov". The hub is located right on the coast, almost on the beach of the Mediterranean Sea, and when landing from the porthole there are simply charming pictures. But the airport, named after the pioneer of Israeli aviation Oza Dov, takes not so many flights. Basically, these are planes from Eilat and the occupied territories. At the height of the tourist season, some charters and low-cost landings land on it. But if you fly to Israel and wonder what airports Tel Aviv will accept your flight, 95 percent of a hundred will be Ben-Gurion. And since July 2016, the chances of the main airport of Israel will increase to 100%, since a decision has already been made to eliminate Sde-Dov. The land in the immediate vicinity of the capital is too expensive. Therefore, the Sde-Dov terminals will be destroyed, and residential areas and shopping centers will be built on the runway sites.

Tel-Aviv: Ben-Gurion Airport

Officially, the hub is called Ben Gurion International Airport. It was built in 1936, when Israel as a state was not in sight. The British authorities have built the first terminal and runway. At first the airport was called "Lidda". In 1948, he was renamed Lod. This is the name of the town in the southeast of the capital, near which the terminal is located. On December 1, 1973, the first prime minister of Israel died. His name was David Ben-Gurion. Local authorities decided that all airports in Tel Aviv should be named after outstanding citizens. So the Lod hub was renamed Ben-Gurion, and it still retains its name. It is clear that the airport since 1936 has been repeatedly rebuilt, expanded and modernized. Not so long ago, ten years ago, the third terminal opened. It fully meets the requirements for modern air gates to the country.

Where is Ben Gurion

The airport on the map is eleven kilometers south-east of Tel Aviv, near the town of Lod. This hub accepts both international and domestic flights. If you are arriving in the Israeli capital by transit in order to travel around the country, it should be borne in mind that the terminal that receives aircraft on the route from Tel Aviv to Haifa, Eilat, Jerusalem and other cities is located four kilometers from the international one. Between them, shuttles are free. However, they do not have a clear timetable and are arranged for the arrival of passengers from Eilat. Thus, the bus can wait from ten minutes to half an hour. But from Jerusalem to get to Tel Aviv (Ben-Gurion airport) is easier than light. The hub adjoins the highway number one. If you go to the capital with the bus company "Egged", then one of the stops will be at the airport.

How to get to the city

How to reach Tel Aviv in the fastest way? Of course, take advantage of the railway connection. The station, from which high-speed trains and trains depart, is in Terminal No. 3, one floor below the arrival hall. The ticket to the center costs 14 shekels (4 dollars). It must be stored until the exit from the terminal station - there will be an electronic turnstile. Do not forget that in this country the Sabbath day is honored. The station operates round the clock only from Sunday to Thursday. On Friday, it closes at 16.00 and opens only the next day at 21.15. A convenient alternative to the train are buses. But first you need to get on route number 5 to the stop "Ben-Gurion-City Airport". And from there the city buses already leave. Thus it is possible to reach other settlements of Israel - Jerusalem, Haifa. The stop is located next to the exit from the third terminal. Travel in this type of transport is not much different from a bus at a price. But the driver will take you directly to the door of the hotel. On the day of Shabbat, the only way to get to the city will be a taxi. The journey costs 150 shekels. The journey takes about twenty minutes.

general information

The first thing that meets foreigners who arrived in Tel Aviv is Ben-Gurion Airport. This is a kind of visiting card of the country, after all the first impressions about it begin here. Tense political situation affects everywhere, and in the main airport of the capital and even more so. You immediately come to the attention of a group of soldiers with uncovered assault rifles. These are policemen and IDF soldiers. And there are also employees of private security firms, some in uniform, and others in civilian clothes. Passing security controls may take longer than at another airport. And this needs to be taken into account when you are in a hurry for a flight. But the airport was recognized as the most protected from terrorist attacks hub in the world. He was repeatedly subjected to them, but all attempts to seize the aircraft or hostages were unsuccessful.

Airport structure: Terminal No. 1

This is the oldest part of the hub, which has been repeatedly rebuilt since 1936. The terminal acquired its present form in the nineties of the twentieth century. Until 2004, he served almost all flights arriving from abroad. And if you are looking for Ben-Gurion Airport, this terminal will show the photo. There are duty-free shops, VIP-boxes and even a synagogue. But after the opening of the new terminal No. 3, the first and oldest ones lost their leadership. Now he accepts government flights, and also works for domestic transportation of passengers (to Eilat, Ein Yahav and Rosh Pinu). Landing here and charters, mostly from Turkey. With the closure of the airport of Sde-Dov this hall will also serve the passengers of low-cost.

Terminal No. 2

It was built in the late nineties of the last century, when No. 1 could no longer cope with the huge passenger traffic. But there worked only registration for flights and passport control. The passengers then moved by an internal bus to the terminal No. 1 building, where the waiting rooms were equipped, and waited for landing on the flight there. Since airports in Tel Aviv do not have a dedicated hub for mail and luggage carriers, it was decided to open one in place No. 2. Now this building is being rebuilt for the needs of UPS.

Terminal No. 3

It was inaugurated in 2004 and completely eclipsed all others. Five waiting rooms, free Wi-Fi, excellent information services, convenient running tracks and escalators - all this brought the terminal number 3 the glory of the best in the criterion of "passenger satisfaction." Particularly noteworthy is duty-free work. The purchased goods can be left in the free store luggage store and, if you arrive back to Tel Aviv (Ben Gurion), take it again. Since 2007, the terminal has been building hotel rooms directly.