On January 11, a new civil airport was opened in the Eilat area, Israel. It is known as Ramon International Airport and is 21 kilometers from Eilat. The new airport was inaugurated in the presence of the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu.
The new airport, which cost about 445 million, will contribute to the development of tourism in the region. For starters, Arkia and Israir air carriers will operate domestic flights. Following that in the near future, it will be open to international traffic.
Ramon International Airport
Once fully operational, Ramon International Airport will have a capacity of up to two million passengers a year. The Israeli airport authority said it plans to expand to 4,25 million passengers by 2030.
The 34.000 sqm terminal has 32 check-in offices, self-check-in areas and parking spaces for more than 30 aircraft. The 3.600-meter-long and 45-meter-wide runway is also capable of supporting all types of aircraft.
Ramon International Airport will gradually replace the current Eilat Ovda Airport, offering a new gateway to the Red Sea. It is well known that the Eilat Ovda Airport, which is located 60 kilometers from Eilat, is a military base, which opens its doors in the winter season for international flights.
Ramon International Airport is named after Ilan Ramon, the first Israeli astronaut who died in the tragic accident of the Columbia space shuttle. And his son, Assaf Ramon, died six years later, when his F-16 fighter plane crashed in Judea and Samaria.
Eilat Ovda Airport
Eilat Ovda Airport has prospered in recent years, following Israel's agreement with the EU. As of June 2013, flights between European Union and Israeli airports have been encouraged. Including from Romania, flights are operated on the route Bucharest - Eilat (Ovda) with Wizz Air.
