Plans for 2nd international airport in Israel’s Negev Desert approved by Knesset committee

The Knesset’s Economic Affairs Committee on Sunday approved a plan to establish a second international airport in the Negev Desert in southern Israel.

"The new airport is slated for construction in Nevatim, east of Beersheva – widely considered the informal capital of the Negev. The project is expected to take seven years to complete, with plans for the facility to accommodate up to 15 million passengers. Nevatim is also home to one of the Israeli Air Force’s main airbases, which houses its advanced F-35 fighter jets.

The plan for a new international airport is intended to ease congestion at Israel’s primary hub, Ben Gurion International Airport in Lod, near Tel Aviv.

Knesset member David Bitan of the ruling Likud party, the committee’s chairman, presented the initiative.

“Nevatim is the right location – from security, economic, social, environmental, and health perspectives. We commend the Knesset members for their efforts, but we recognize that the path to implementing the law is still filled with challenges,” Bitan said.

The initiative, which received support from 80 out of 120 Knesset lawmakers, was initiated by both coalition and opposition parties, including Yesh Atid MK Ram Ben Barak, Otzma Yehudit MK Almog Cohen, Likud MK Shalom Danino and The Democrats MK Naama Lazimi.

Earlier this month it was decided that Terminal 1 at Ben Gurion Airport would reopen as many international airlines have resumed flights to and from Israel. While Ben Gurion has expanded in recent years, it has not been able to keep up with the increased air traffic in Israel. Furthermore, the establishment of the new airport will generate some 50,000 jobs in Israel’s south.

Israel’s Ramon Airport, named after the late Israeli astronaut and fighter pilot Ilan Ramon, opened in 2019 outside the resort town of Eilat in the southern Negev, however, it is currently primarily handling domestic flights.

Benny Biton, the Mayor of Dimona, located near Nevatim, praised the plan to establish a second international airport in the region.

“This bill is a game-changer for the future of the Negev, which has endured years of unfulfilled promises,” he said. “Nevatim Airport will provide economic and employment opportunities for all residents of the region. The widespread support for this bill is clear proof that there is a deep understanding – the Negev is the future growth and development hub of Israel in the coming decades.”

The group "Negev Takes Off from Nevatim” has been campaigning for an airport at Nevatim and welcomed the bill, which it described as a “dramatic moment in the years-long struggle to determine the airport’s location.”

In addition to creating jobs and easing the load on Ben Gurion Airport, the decision to establish a new international airport in southern Israel is also driven by security considerations.

Ben Gurion Airport – vital to Israel’s economy and international connectivity – faces threats from multiple terror groups. The Iran-backed, Houthi rebels in Yemen, who recently launched ballistic missiles at central Israel, have openly threatened to target Ben Gurion Airport.

“After the success of our Yemeni Armed Forces in cutting off Israeli shipping in the Red Sea, a blockade is imposed on Ben Gurion Airport in occupied Palestine,” the Houthis stated in a recent message on 𝕏.

“Please take the decision of the Yemeni Armed Forces seriously, as Ben-Gurion Airport is no longer safe until the aggression on Gaza stops,” the Houthis stated.

Although Ben Gurion Airport is considered one of the world’s most secure, many international airlines avoided it for much of last year due to security concerns during the most intense phases of the Gaza War.