JERUSALEM (JWN) – The Ministry of Tourism this week announced plans to open a new international airport in three years’ time at Timna, 11 miles north of Eilat. The facility will be able to handle the large jetliners presently required to use the nearby Uvda Air Force Base, because they cannot land at Eilat’s antiquated short field.
The new airport will be named after the late Israeli astronaut, Ilan Ramon, and will feature a light rail trasnport system to and from Eilat.
More than $400 million will be invested in building the new airport, which is expected to boost international tourism to southern Israel by some 300 percent shortly after opening. Ramon Airport is also expected to offer hundreds of new jobs to Eilatis.
