The Ramon Airport is an international airport designed to consolidate the current split operation between Eilat and Ovda Airports in the south of the country.
The Ramon Airport is being built on an area of 8,000 dunam (approximately 1,976 acres), and is expected to accommodate over 1.8 million passengers a year. Scaled on the model of Ben Gurion International Airport, the Ramon Airport will contain separate sections for domestic and international passengers, with amenities such as duty-free shops, restaurants and other services.
The single terminal will occupy 30,000m2, including 32 check-in counters and eight gates for transport buses to and from the planes.
The infrastructure is built to accommodate all types of aircraft, including wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 747-400. The runway and taxiway are 3,600m long. The runway is 45 meters wide, with an additional 7.5m on both sides of the runway shoulders.
The tarmac will include 16 aprons for general aviation, nine aprons for large and wide-body aircraft, and additional parking for turbo prop and smaller planes.
Ramon Airport will offer flexibility in slot options and attractive rates for airlines.
The Airport will be open in the winter season 2018/19.
Eilat Airport is located in the central area of the city of Eilat, mostly handling domestic flights to Tel Aviv and Haifa.
Ovda Airport is Israel’s second international airport, serving many commercial charter flights to Eilat, especially large aircraft which cannot use the shorter runway at Eilat Airport.
Named after Ilan Ramon, Israel’s first astronaut who died in the space shuttle "Columbia" which broke apart on re-entry into earth in 2003, and his son Assaf, a fighter pilot killed in a training flight six years later, the Ramon International Airport will serve as Israel’s second airport serving international and domestic flights.
By creating one new airport, the Israeli south will compare with Ben Gurion international airport located between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
Easy access
The airport is easily accessible by bus from all parts of the country, and there will be a large short and long-term car park.
A shuttle service will be provided for passengers from the airport to Eilat, the nearest metropolis.
State-of-the-art technologies
Advanced technologies are being implemented throughout the airport, covering security, operations and management. The airport will maintain the most advanced baggage screening system available, HBS (Hold Baggage Screening), which sorts 100% of passenger baggage.
Control and monitoring of ground traffic will be managed by the A-SMGCS (Advanced Surface Movement Guidance and Control Systems). Surveillance data is integrated with Sensis Safety Logic conflict detection and alerting algorithms, as well as the Electronic Flight strip system (EFS) for flight plan information and other air traffic control data.
The overall management of the airport will be supported by the micromanagement platform ORAT – Operational Readiness, Activation and Transition.
"Greenfield Airport" within a desert landscape
The Ramon Airport is being built within a remarkable natural resource. Out of tremendous respect for the environment, the airport is a green project and great efforts are being made to preserve the local desert characteristics. Materials for construction are excavated
locally, and instead of grass, the airport landscaping will use desert topsoil that was removed during the building process and replaced afterwards.
Breathtaking surroundings: Where the desert meets the sea
The Ramon International Airport is expected to spark a 300% increase in tourism to southern Israel with an anticipated 1.4 million domestic passengers and 0.4 million on international flights.
The airport is located just steps away from breathtaking natural wonders, including some on UNESCO’s (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) World Heritage List.
Dead Sea
At more than 400m below sea level, the Dead Sea is the lowest and saltiest place on earth. The salt creates a mineral rich mud, used for therapeutic and cosmetic treatments at local resorts. Nestled among the mountains of the desert, the Dead Sea resort area
offers a one-of-a-kind experience of beauty, tranquility, and excitement.
Eilat
Located on the northern tip of the Red Sea, this seaside town is Israel’s southern port and one of the most beautiful resorts in the country. Miles of beaches and desert landscapes, coral reef, a lively nightlife, shopping malls, attractions and more than 12,000 rooms in over 50 hotels, make this a popular destination for domestic and international tourism. Eilat sits in the southern Negev Desert, with easy connections to popular destinations such as Taba (Egypt), Aqaba and ancient city of Petra (Jordan).
Jerusalem
Only a four-hour drive from Eilat, Jerusalem is Israel’s capital and one of the world’s oldest cities. Jerusalem contains significant religious sites considered holy to Judaism, Christianity and Islam. A place of pilgrimage and worship, Jerusalem is also a modern city, boasting fine cuisine, art, culture and a vibrant nightlife.
Tel Aviv
Easily accessible from Eilat by public transportation or domestic flight, Tel Aviv is a thriving, vibrant action-packed cosmopolitan city, with a world-renowned nightlife, stunning beaches and all the amenities and entertainment you would expect from a modern city.
Ramon Crater
40km long, 210km wide and 500m deep, the Ramon Crater is a magnificent geological feature in Israel’s Negev desert, within Israel’s largest national park, the Ramon Nature Reserve.
Masada
On the eastern edge of the Negev desert, overlooking the Dead Sea, at the very top of an isolated rock table lies the ancient fortification of Masada. The tragic and romantic story of Masada, along with the incredible archeological findings is a terrific draw for tourists from around the world.
