The government of Israel has approved the construction of another international airport.
According to The Jerusalem Post, officials on Sunday greenlighted the project in the Ziklag area, in Israel’s southern Negev region.
The new facility will be developed at the same time as a new international airport being built in the north of Israel. That site is being developed in Ramat David.
The government intends to accelerate planning for the Ziklag airport, so that construction can take place at the same time as the airport in the north.
Building an international airport in Ziklag was originally rejected by authorities due to its proximity to the border with Gaza. It was thought that commercial flight paths could possibly interfere with flight paths used by Israel’s Air Force.
However, defense officials have since concluded that the risk was not enough to justify halting the project.
Dealing with Congestion
The Israeli government is looking to relieve congestion at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport, which is the country’s main international airport.
Ben Gurion is fast approaching its maximum capacity of around 40 million passengers per year.
In addition, the development of the two new airports will be a catalyst for economic growth, officials said.
