The Israel Airports Authority yesterday published the tender to select the engineering company that will manage construction of the Timna Airport at Eilat, a year after the cabinet decided to build the project. The NIS 1.6 billion project will take three years to build.
The airport will be named for Ilan and Asaf Ramon. Ilan Ramon was the Israeli astronaut killed in the crash of the Columbia space shuttle in 2003; his son, Asaf, was killed in an Israel Air Force training accident in 2009.
The winning company will be responsible for the planning, construction, and oversight of the airport. The Timna Airport will replace Eilat's current airport, and will serve as an alternative international airport during emergencies. The cabinet decided that the Airports Authority will be responsible for financing the project, and will have the right to seek outside financing for part of the cost. The Airports Authority will have the right to reach a deal with the Israel Land Authority for part of the proceeds of the sale of land at the current Eilat Airport.
The Timna Airport, 19 kilometers north of Eilat, will have a 3,500-meter runway, state-of-the-art control tower, and spacious terminal, able to handle mid-sized and wide-bodied airliners.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on July 3, 2012
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