The Economic Affairs Committee in the Israeli parliament today gave its final approval to a plan to build a new international airport in the south of the country, not far from the area near the Gaza border where Hamas carried out its attacks on October 7, 2023.
According to a bill awaiting approval in the country's legislature, the airport would be built in the town of Nevatim, about 65 kilometers, or less than an hour's drive, from the border with the Gaza Strip and in close proximity to a military base in the Negev desert where F-35 fighter jets are stationed. Last October, the base was the target of missile attacks launched from Iran, Reuters added.
The construction of the new airport, about 132 kilometers from Tel Aviv, will take seven years and eventually serve up to 15 million passengers a year, according to a bill submitted to parliament.
The project aims to help relieve traffic at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport and support the economy in the south of the country by creating about 50,000 jobs, especially from the nearby Bedouin community.
Israel's military and security services have opposed the project because of its proximity to the air base.
"Ben Gurion" is Israel's main "air gateway" and has a capacity of 40 million passengers a year. It is nearing its limit, according to the commission, which cites data showing that passenger traffic is projected to reach 80 million per year by 2050.