IAA reported a 36.5% rise in the number of private flights to Israel, to 4,095 in 2005 while the number of passengers on those flights grew 46.2% to 14,613.
By AVI KRAWITZairbus plane flying 88(photo credit: )
Answering the recent rise in private traffic into Tel Aviv, the Israel Airports Authority is planning a new terminal at Ben-Gurion Airport for private and managed flights.
"The new terminal is designed, first and foremost, to provide an answer for the level of service required by this segment of the aviation market," said Gabi Ofir, CEO of the IAA. "The terminal will be comparable to most airports around the world."
IAA reported a 36.5 percent rise in the number of private flights to Israel, to 4,095 in 2005 while the number of passengers on those flights grew 46.2% to 14,613. The figures represent a continued upward trend in private jet traffic to Ben-Gurion, after 2004 saw a 21% increase in the private planes traffic to the airport over 2003 levels, and a 17% rise in passengers using the service for that year.
A spokesman for the IAA said the flights were used mainly by business people and that the traffic was a mix of local and international travelers.
The IAA said it has allocated a budget of NIS 4.3 million to establish the terminal, which is part of the authority's development program for 2006/2007. No timetable has been set for the project. Currently, private flights have no specific allocated space to land and have to schedule times at Terminal-3.
While the design and establishment of the new terminal will be carried out by the IAA, its operations will be transferred to a commercial organization, which will pay an authorization fee to the IAA for the right to provide the service.
