Israel has officially launched work on the proposed Tziklag Airport, a new international airport expected to accommodate up to 10 million passengers annually, as officials prepare for a dramatic increase in air travel over the coming decades.

According to a report by Kan News, planning for the Tziklag project is now underway, with the project’s planning centers expected to open in early 2028.

The report said the Tziklag project is advancing more rapidly than the long-discussed Ramat David Airport proposal, raising the possibility that the northern project could ultimately be shelved. However, officials involved in the Ramat David initiative told Kan 11 that both airports could still be built. Others argue that such a scenario is unlikely, citing the multibillion-shekel cost of constructing two major airports as well as unprecedented opposition from residents near the proposed Ramat David site.

The push for a second major airport comes as passenger traffic at Ben Gurion Airport continues to surge. Last Thursday, approximately 85,000 travelers passed through the airport in a single day—the highest daily total since the outbreak of the “Roaring Lion” war. The Israel Airports Authority expects that record to be broken again within days.

During the current month alone, Ben Gurion Airport is expected to handle roughly 2.3 million passengers, despite the fact that more than half of the foreign airlines that suspended service to Israel have yet to resume operations.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent war, approximately 24 million passengers traveled through Ben Gurion Airport in 2019. By 2040, annual passenger traffic is projected to reach about 40 million, underscoring the need for a second major airport to ease the growing demand.

The planned Tziklag Airport is expected to have the capacity to serve approximately 10 million passengers each year.

{Matzav.com}