World City Guide

Getting There By Air

Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV)
Tel: (03) 975 5555.
Website: www.iaa.gov.il/Rashat/en-US/Airports/BenGurion/

Ben Gurion International Airport, also known as Tel Aviv Airport, is located near Lod on the main Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway (Highway 1), about 25km (15 miles) southeast of Tel Aviv and approximately 45km (29 miles) west of Jerusalem. It is Israel’s principal hub for international and domestic air traffic, served by over 47 airlines and with two terminals designed to handle up to 12 million passengers each year. Work to build terminal three is currently under way.

Whether flying in or out of Israel, the check-in period is always at least three hours prior to departure. To date, all passengers are normally subject to one-to-one interview by security personnel but this is being phased out in favor of high-tech scanning machines.

Airport facilities: Facilities include 24-hour banks, restaurants, duty-free shops, general shops, post office and 24-hour tourist information. Avis, Budget, Eldan, Eurodollar, Europcar, Hertz and Thrifty all provide car hire services. It is worth noting that most airport services (including public transport) are reduced on Shabbat (approximately Friday 1700 to Saturday 1700).

Transport to the city: Buses to Jerusalem, operated by the Egged National Bus Co-operative (tel: (03) 694 8888; website: www.egged.co.il/Eng/), leave the airport every 25-45 minutes 0630-2140. The bus stop is outside the airport arrivals building, opposite parking lot number one. Bus numbers for Jerusalem are nos. 405, 423, 945 and 947; tickets can be bought on the bus. Buses terminate at Jerusalem’s Central Bus Station on Jaffa Road in west Jerusalem. Taxis are located on the right outside the airport arrivals hall. The Nesher Company (tel: (02) 623 1231) runs a sherut (shared taxi) service between the airport and Jerusalem, charging a fixed rate per passenger. For an extra charge, they will take passengers and their baggage to (or collect from) anywhere in the city.