In Israel, airports are divided into military and civilian. There are still small summer runways owned by private clubs and hubs used for agricultural needs. There are only four international airports in the country (which is not so small, based on the modest size of the state). The air gate of Israel in the south is the Eilat Uvda. It is located directly within the city. Now work is underway to build a new terminal on the site of a military air base. Haifa Hub is located five kilometers from the city center, near the seaport. But you can also get to him by city bus (No. 58). The hub accepts 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 translates as "Dowa airfield." The hub is located right on the coast, almost on the beach of the Mediterranean Sea, and when landing from the porthole, simply enchanting pictures appear. But the airport, named after Israeli aviation pioneer Oz Dov, does not take many flights. These are mainly planes from Eilat and the occupied territories. At the height of the tourist season, some charters and low-cost flights land on it. But if you fly to Israel and wonder which Tel Aviv airports will take your flight, then 95 percent out of a hundred will be Ben Gurion. And from July 2016, the chances of the main Israeli airport will increase to 100%, since a decision has already been made to eliminate Sde-Dov. Land in the vicinity of the capital is too expensive. Therefore, the Sde-Dov terminals will be destroyed, and residential quarters and shopping centers will be built on the site of the runways.
Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport
The official hub is called Ben Gurion International Airport. It was built in 1936, when Israel as a state was not in sight. The first terminal and runway were erected by the British authorities. At first, the airport was called Lydda. In 1948 it was renamed Lod. This is the name of the town in the southeast of the capital, near which the terminal is located. The first Prime Minister of Israel died on December 1, 1973. His name was David Ben-Gurion. Local authorities decided that all airports in Tel Aviv should bear the names of prominent citizens. So the Lod hub was renamed Ben Gurion, and it still retains its name. It is clear that the airport has been rebuilt, expanded and modernized since 1936. Not so long ago, ten years ago, the third terminal opened. It fully meets the requirements for a modern air gate to the country.
Where is Ben Gurion
The airport on the map is located eleven kilometers southeast of Tel Aviv, near the town of Lod. This hub accepts both international and domestic flights. If you are arriving in the capital of Israel in transit in order to travel around the country, it should be borne in mind that the terminal that receives planes from Tel Aviv to Haifa, Eilat, Jerusalem and other cities is located four kilometers from the international one. Between them free shuttles ply. However, they do not have a clear schedule and are tailored to the arrival of passengers from Eilat. Thus, the bus can be waited from ten minutes to half an hour. But from Jerusalem, getting to Tel Aviv (Ben Gurion Airport) is easier than ever. The hub is adjacent to the number one highway. If you go to the capital with the Egged bus company, one of the stops will be at the airport.
How to get to the city
What is the fastest way to get to Tel Aviv? Of course, take the train. The station, from which high-speed trains and trains depart, is located in terminal No. 3, one floor below the arrival hall. A ticket to the center costs 14 shekels ($ 4). It must be saved until the exit from the terminal station - there will be an electronic turnstile. Do not forget that the Sabbath is honored in this country. The station operates around 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 Airport - City”. And from there city buses already leave. Thus, you can get to other Israeli settlements - Jerusalem, Haifa. The bus stop is located next to the exit from the third terminal. The fare in this type of transport is not much different from the bus in price. But the driver will take you directly to the door of the hotel. On Shabbat day, the only way to get to the city is by taxi. The fare will cost 150 shekels. Travel time is about twenty minutes.
general information
The first thing that meets foreigners arriving in Tel Aviv is Ben Gurion Airport. This is a kind of visiting card of the country, because the first impressions of it begin here. The tense political situation affects everywhere, and even more so at the main airport of the capital. Groups of military men with uncovered assault rifles will immediately catch your eye. These are police officers and IDF soldiers. And there are employees of private security companies, some in uniform, and others in civilian clothes. Passing security controls may take longer than at another airport. And this must be taken into account when you rush to the 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 the hostages were unsuccessful.
Airport structure: Terminal No. 1
This is the oldest part of the hub, which has been rebuilt several times 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 lodges and even a synagogue. But after the opening of the newest terminal No. 3, the first and oldest lost its leadership. Now he accepts government flights, and also works for domestic passenger transportation (to Eilat, Ein Yahav and Rosh Pinu). Charters, mainly from Turkey, also land here. With the closure of Sde-Dova Airport, this hall will also serve low-cost passengers.
Terminal number 2
It was built in the late nineties of the last century, when No. 1 could no longer cope with the huge passenger flow. But only check-in for flights and passport control worked there. After that, the passengers moved by internal bus to terminal building No. 1, where there were equipped waiting rooms, and waited for boarding the flight there. Since Tel Aviv airports do not have a dedicated hub for mail and baggage planes, it was decided to open one at location No. 2. Now this building is being rebuilt for the needs of UPS.
Terminal number 3
It was inaugurated in 2004 and completely eclipsed all the others. Five waiting rooms, free Wi-Fi, excellent information services, convenient treadmills and escalators - all this brought terminal No. 3 the fame of the best by the criterion of “passenger satisfaction”. Of particular note is the duty free operation. Purchased goods can be left in the free luggage store of the store and, if you arrive back to Tel Aviv (Ben Gurion), take it again. Since 2007, hotel rooms have been under construction directly at the terminal.