Ben Gurion Airport scheduled a record 521 flights today (leaving and arriving), the most flights since airplanes began landing in 1936, the Israel Airports Authority reported.
The Airports Authority said that 263 landings and 258 takeoffs carrying almost 70,000 passengers were scheduled for today. A total of over 1.4 million passengers are expected to pass through the airport during the holiday period.
This Friday, the eve of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), movement of airplanes at Ben Gurion Airport will stop at 2 pm, and resume on Saturday night after the fast. The first landing after Yom Kippur will be at 10:30 pm, and the first takeoff will be at 11 pm.
The leading destinations this year in number of passengers during the High Holy Days period are Greece, Turkey (as a transit stop), Italy, the US, Germany, Russia, and France.
The Airports Authority also reports that it is preparing for the return to Israel of 20,000 Breslaver Hassidim on 100 flights from Uman, Ukraine. They are returning from their traditional holiday trip for Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) to the grave of Rabbi Nachman from Breslav.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on September 28, 2014
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