The second busiest airport in Israel boasts state-of-the-art technologies allowing travellers to enjoy a smoother experience than they may do in the West.
The Ramon International Airport was launched in 2019 and replaced the former Eilat Airport and Ovda Airport, welcoming their domestic, low cost and charter flights. This airport built and operated by the Israel Airport Authority (IAA) features a single passenger terminal occupying 322,917 square feet.
The space features a common area for both arriving and departing passengers, as well as 32 check-in counters and tourist information centre – among other facilities.
But one of the airport’s most impressive features is its advanced baggage screening systems called hold baggage screening (HBS), an automatic security check system for inspecting passenger luggage – slashing security time and eliminating queues.
Still, the airport’s security guidelines recommend passengers flying domestically to arrive about one and a half hours before departure. Those who need to undergo security checks for an international flight are advised to reach the air hub three hours before departure.
The website added: “At the security check for an international flight passengers must present a valid passport and an airline ticket or a boarding pass from advance check-in.”
The airport also boasts advanced surface movement guidance and control systems to monitor and control ground traffic operations.
Located 11 miles north of Israel‘s southernmost city, Eilat, this airport is mostly surrounded by the Negev Desert.
The desert boulders have inspired the Ramon International Airport’s architecture, while the decor of the terminal features sceneries of the Negev and its mountains.
This unusual location has allowed the airport to have a particularly long runway for the number of people it is currently receiving due to the easily available real estate in the desert. The airport, which counts some two million passengers per year, boasts an 11,800-foot-long runway.
This new airport, the second most important in Israel after Ben Gurion Airport, cost around £347million (1.95billion Israeli shekels) and took five years to be completed.
Named after Ilan and Asaf Ramon, two Israeli fighter pilots, the Ramon airport is the international gateway to southern Israel.