Tel Aviv – The cabinet approved Sunday the construction of a second international airport to be located just north of the southern city of Eilat.
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The planned airport in Timna, 18 kilometers north of Eilat, will replace the city’s old local airport. The construction is estimated to take three years and to cost NIS 1.7 billion.
The government plans on naming the airport after the Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon, who was killed in the 2003 Columbia space shuttle disaster and his son Asaf Ramon, who died six years later when his F-16 fighter jet crashed over the West Bank.
Cool, does that mean more flights to israel and cheaper prices?? Then I’m all for it
Eilat will become the israeli riviera and will bring millions of additional european and russian tourists and visitors more interested in the beach /cafe life style than the religious and historical sites further north.how far in the future until monte carlo type casinos ?
the next observation – is this the path israel should persue ?
y so far from eilat? i mean the only reason they would need an airport so far south is for eilat, so y so far (18 km)?
Naming the new airport after the Ramons would be a great honor and recognize one of the greatest families in Israeli history who have done more for the medinah than a most of the politicians, askanim and rabbonim who are normally the ones for whom buildings are named.
Is there enough freight business for that part of Israel? The big secret about airports is that (for many of them) the real business is freight, with passengers being pretty far down the list.
Take a look sometime at the area around JFK or Newark…
#6 writes “would create…hotel, resort and casino jobs for…charedi bochurim..”
Yeah right, sounds like nice yeshivish jobs..
to # 6 .Huh ?when was the last time you saw a chareidi working in a hotel? let alone hotels where people walk around in beach-attire ? what are you thinking ?
An up-to-date airport is essential for the continuing growth of Eilat – in fact, if it was not for the air link to the north the city’s development would have been stifled at birth. The old facility, which has served the town valiantly since 1949 has had its day, and a new airport is definitely needed.
The current airport is right in the centre of the town. Although this might be convenient for chosen-nation #3, it is very inconvenient for the residents, causing noise and particle pollution.
Cynic #5 asks whether there is sufficient freight business to justify a new airport. Most definitely there is, although I would disagree with her contention that “passengers [are] pretty far down the list”. Passengers, and their need for rapid transport to other parts of Israel, are the prime reason for a new airport. Also, 18 km from the center of Eilat to the new airport is not excessive. Cynic #5 would do well to check the distance from, say, Manhattan to JFK; she will be surprised to see how far it is!
Do not forget that Ovda Airport will continue its dual function as both a military and a civil air facility. Traffic from overseas will continue to use the airbase there.
To #11 , all I can say is that you have strange ideas..
# 11 – wow ! u really are clueless.hate to say it but many chareidim are parasites.
for generations no one has worked or will work in their families-that’s the unfortuneate reality.perhaps u should make aliyah and go to eilat to counsel them !
# 14 – respectfully, perhaps if you had a better education you wouldn’t mis-spell “hungary”-secondly, what about aliyah and counselling these chareidim you so admire ?
or is it that you don’t want to lose your programs and benefits here ? i suppose it takes one to know one.
18 kilometers, which is 11.5 US miles, seems to be way to far.Most American big city airports are much closer than that. Eilat is a tiny town of (pop. about 40,000, of them more than 10,000 are illegal aliens), one would thin they could build an airport a very short ride away.