' fill='%230E4F97'%3E%3Cg id='Group-5' transform='translate(370.000000, 11.000000)'%3E%3Cg id='avatar' transform='translate(6.000000, 4.000000)'%3E%3Ccircle id='Oval' cx='8' cy='4' r='4'%3E%3C/circle%3E%3Cpath d='M7.12864205,10 L8.87135795,10 C11.558649,10 14.0087196,11.5384024 15.1762205,13.958831 L16,15.6666667 L16,15.6666667 L15.3374858,17.5134983 C15.228016,17.8186575 14.9774027,18.051811 14.6651459,18.1389975 L8,20 L8,20 L1.33485405,18.1389975 C1.02259733,18.051811 0.771984007,17.8186575 0.662514216,17.5134983 L0,15.6666667 L0,15.6666667 L0.823779545,13.958831 C1.99128041,11.5384024 4.44135104,10 7.12864205,10 Z' id='Rectangle'%3E%3C/path%3E%3C/g%3E%3C/g%3E%3C/g%3E%3C/g%3E%3C/svg%3E)
$280 million expansion at Ben Gurion Airport to meet record number of tourists
Over 25 million entries and exits expected in 2019
Thousands of people stand in line at Ben Gurion Airport's departure terminal on August 13, 2015, a day when 79,800 passengers passed through on 457 flights. (Flash90)
Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport will undertake a major expansion at a cost of 1 billion shekels, or $280 million, in order to meet the demand of a record number of tourists.
The 388,000-square-foot expansion of the terminal for overseas travelers will take place on four levels and include 88 new check-in counters.
The airport is expecting a record number of individual arrivals and departures in 2019 — more than 25 million. There were some 20.8 million entries and exits in 2017.
As a stopgap measure to relieve congestion during the busy summer travel season, the airport plans to set up 25 temporary service counters in a structure adjacent to the overseas terminal building.
read more: