The new airport will service both international and local flights. Evacuation of the current airport will free land for construction.
The social and economic cabinet yesterday approved Minister of Transport Avigdor Lieberman’s proposal to relocate the Eilat international airport to Ramat Timna, 20 kilometers north of Eilat.
In 1989, the government decided to relocate the Eilat airport to Ein Evrona, but the plan was never implemented. At Lieberman’s suggestion, the cabinet canceled the Ein Evrona plan, and approved the plan for Ramat Timna.
Lieberman proposed an agreement between all parties involved for promoting, financing, constructing, and operating the airport. The cabinet decided to charge the Ministries of Transport and Finance, and the Israel Airports Authority, with formulating a financing proposal for construction and operation of the new airport within three months. The plan will be submitted to the ministerial economic committee for approval.
The Airports Authority estimates that construction of the new airport will cost $150 million.
Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on February 25, 2004