Airport Guide

History of Tel Aviv Ben Gurion International Airport

Boasting one of the most turbulent and fascinating histories of all the world's airports, Ben Gurion International had modest beginnings, being constructed as a small military airstrip in 1936.

After featuring heavily in the Middle Eastern theatre of the Second World War, Tel Aviv's main airport welcomed its first transatlantic route in 1946, with the number of international airliners flying out of the airport rising to more than 14 by the 1960s.

With thousands of migrants heading into Israel from countries such as Ethiopia and from the former USSR in the 1980s, Ben Gurion was significantly expanded, while at the same time security precautions at its terminals were ramped up to become some of the toughest in the world.

Currently, Ben Gurion Tel Aviv International handles in excess of ten million passengers a year, making it by far Israel's busiest airport and it also consistently features in lists of the word's most user-friendly air terminals.

Travelling to Tel Aviv Ben Gurion International Airport

Tel Aviv's airport is easily accessible from the city centre.

By far the easiest way of transferring between the terminal buildings and downtown is by train, with regular services running between the two all day long and journeys taking just under 20 minutes to complete.

Likewise, regular shuttle buses operate from the city centre, with many picking up from some of the better-known hotels, while it is also possible to hire a car or take a taxi, either from outside the terminals or in the heart of the city.

However, despite there being good road links to Ben Gurion International, travelling to the airport by road can often be time-consuming due to the security checks in place outside of the main gates.

Airlines flying from Tel Aviv Ben Gurion International Airport

By some way the leading airline in terms of passenger numbers flying out if Ben Gurion is Israel's national carrier El Al.

The carrier offers airline tickets for domestic and international flights to dozens of destinations.

Among its more popular international routes are those to Amsterdam, Berlin, Kiev, New York, Vienna and Warsaw.

Another major presence at Ben Gurion is Turkey's Onur Air, which offers cheap flights to numerous destinations across the region, while Lufthansa is also popular, offering international flights to both Frankfurt and Munich.

Other airlines that fly from Tel Aviv include British Airways, bmi and Thomsonfly, all of which fly to the UK, and Iberia, Swiss International and US Airways.

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