Ben-Gurion Airport: Passenger traffic climbed to 24.8 million in 2019
More than 2.32 million people passing through Ben-Gurion Airport in 2019 traveled to and from Turkey, a major and nearby aviation hub, representing 9.67% of all passengers.
By EYTAN HALONTel Aviv, Ben Gurion Airport (photo credit: BERTHOLD WERNER/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS)
More than 24.8 million passengers and nearly 168,000 flights passed through Ben-Gurion Airport in 2019, marking a record year for Israel’s leading aviation hub.According to the airport’s annual report, international passenger traffic reached 24.04 million in 2019, an increase of approximately 7.5% since 2018. An additional 786,000 passengers traveled through the airport on domestic flights, up 32.73%, driven by the closure of Tel Aviv’s Sde Dov Airport in July.Israeli airlines, including El Al, Israir and Arkia, carried 7.36 million, or 30.63%, of all passengers in 2019, up 5.46% from 2018.More than 2.32 million travelers used Ben-Gurion Airport to and from Turkey last year, a major and nearby aviation hub, or 9.67% of all passengers. Other leading countries ranked by passenger traffic include the United States (1.82 million), Italy (1.53 million), and France (1.52 million). Leading destinations were Istanbul, Paris, Rome and Moscow.Seeking to cater to rapidly increasing passenger traffic, Ben-Gurion Airport recently completed renovation work at Terminal 1.The airport has approved plans to expand Terminal 3. They include adding 86 check-in counters, constructing a fifth departure concourse and implementing a new baggage-sorting system.
