Renovation work will begin after the Jewish holidays at the end of October

A new modern area will be inaugurated next year in Terminal 3 of Ben Gurion Airport in Israel, the Airports Authority announced on Tuesday.

The Authority and the management of the international airport are accelerating the process of expanding the terminal as part of the process of adaptation according to the number of passengers passing through it each day. 

Renovation work will begin after the Jewish holidays at the end of October.

According to the plan, an innovative terminal will be built on the west side of Terminal 3 with 22 check-in counters, security control systems, and conveyors connected to Automatic Technology Control systems.

The terminal will cover an area of ​​42,000 square feet by around 98 feet wide and some 427 feet long. Similar terminals already exist in Europe at Amsterdam's Schiphol, Budapest, and Germany.

With approval from the Authority's board and management, the engineering division began planning the construction of a fifth wing for aircraft parking at the airport.

The plan, which aims to adjust the airport to longer-term passenger flow, also includes the creation of food complexes to serve passengers and the creation of additional VIP rooms.

Earlier this summer, chaotic scenes were reported at the airport as international travel picked up after two years of air travel restrictions related to the Covid pandemic. Staffing shortages gave rise to endless queues, lost suitcases, and canceled flights.