Israeli government to approve new international airport in southern Negev region

The Israeli government announced last week that a new international airport will be built near the biblical archaeological site, Ziklag, in the Negev region. 

The announcement was made in a joint statement from the Prime Minister's Office, the Ministry of Transportation, and the Ministry of Finance. The decision, made under the direction of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was scheduled to be brought to the government for approval on Sunday. 

However, shortly before the cabinet meeting on Sunday morning, it was announced that the government had decided to postpone discussion on the new airport until next week amid opposition from members of the Ministry of Finance, several members of the government, and heads of municipalities in the Negev, Ynet News reported.  

The construction of another international airport is considered a national need due to the continuous increase in the number of flights to and from Israel over the past decade. According to the Knesset Economic Affairs Committee, Ben Gurion International Airport, which has a capacity of 40 million passengers annually, will soon reach its limit, despite recent decisions to expand parts of the facility.

The latest forecasts indicate that Ben Gurion Airport will reach its capacity limit by 2040. Despite the presence of the Ramon International Airport in the southern port city of Eilat, its remote location in comparison to the rest of Israel prevents it from functioning as a viable alternative. 

At the same time, the decision to build the airport in the south is part of a long-term goal of various Israeli governments to develop the Negev region, with the potential to create thousands of jobs and strengthen the regional economy. Israeli media reports that the new airport is projected to cost around NIS 7 billion ($2.2 billion), with construction primarily being performed by the companies planning to operate the new airport.

A previous proposal to build the airport near the Nevatim Airbase was opposed by the Israel Air Force (IAF), despite support from several professionals who cited the area’s higher level of development and existing infrastructure. Some members of the government are still calling for the new international airport to be built closer to Nevatim due to existing infrastructure, arguing that building a new airport near Ziklag would take more time and be more expensive because supporting infrastructure does not currently exist at that location.

Development projects have been underway for several years to expand major highway and rail systems into the Negev, supporting residential and commercial growth in the region. The presence of an international airport, connected by road and rail to central Israel, would further support the goal of developing the Negev as a growing region.

Several alternative locations have been considered for a couple of decades; however, opposition from regional council heads, and especially the Israel Air Force, has prevented their progress. The IAF has reportedly agreed to the location of the new airport in Ziklag, after opposing the previous suggestion of opening an airport adjacent to Nevatim. 

At the time of the announcement, Transportation Minister Miri Regev said, “This is a historic decision that strengthens Israel's skies, the economy and the Negev. A complementary international airport in the south is a tremendous growth engine that will create jobs, open up new opportunities, and connect the Negev to the centers of activity in Israel and the world.” 

Deputy Minister Almog Cohen commented on the name and the location of the new airport, Tkuma International Airport. [Tkuma means “revival” in Hebrew] 

“Less than 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) from where the accursed white pickup trucks drove in the October 7 massacre, the State of Israel will build an international airport that will provide essential employment for the continued prosperity of the Negev,” Minister Cohen said in a statement: “I thank the Prime Minister and Minister Regev for making this historic decision. Despite everything, the Negev will take off!” 

Jezreel Valley Regional Council head, Shlomit Shichor Reichman, also praised the decision to build in the Negev versus the Jezreel Valley, where residents and farmers had long opposed construction of a new airport. 

“The historic and courageous decision to establish the next international airport of the State of Israel in the Negev is a decision that is national news of the highest order and tremendous news for the entire Negev,” Reichman said. “I would like to thank Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Minister of Transportation Miri Regev and Deputy Minister Almog Cohen for their determination and belief in the south as a strategic growth center for the State of Israel.” 

Some critics have noted that the new airport at Nevatim is planned to have a capacity of just10 million passengers per year and 70,000 flights, which may limit its ability to function as a true complement to Ben Gurion Airport, located outside of Tel Aviv.