Israelis to get duty-free shops on Eilat flights
New airport opening next year will allow passengers to buy products at reduced prices without leaving country
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With a new international airport opening in the country next year, Israelis will soon be able to enjoy a new perk: buying duty-free products without leaving the country.
The Ramon International Airport, also known as the Timna Airport — being built at a cost of more than $470 million — will be situated northeast of Eilat, and will replace the current smaller airport inside the city, as well as the army’s Ovda airfield located further north, which currently services some international flights to the southern resort town.
Channel 2 News reported Thursday night that passengers on domestic flights between Eilat and Tel Aviv will be authorized to purchase duty-free merchandise, a first for Israel.
The TV station reported that the new regulations had been agreed upon in discussions between Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz and Israel Tax Authority officials.
The report noted that the plan was intended to boost domestic tourism to Eilat.
The new airport is expected to begin operating around April 2017. It is named after Ilan and Assaf Ramon. Ilan Ramon, a decorated Israeli Air Force pilot and Israel’s first astronaut, was killed in the Columbia space shuttle explosion in 2003. His son Assaf, who followed in his father’s footsteps in joining the IAF, was killed in 2009 during an F-16 training flight.
The Times of Israel Community.