The Knesset’s Economic Affairs Committee unanimously advanced plans for a new Israeli international airport near Beer-Sheva on Sunday.

The airport would be built in Moshav Nevatim within seven years, handle up to 15 million passengers, and lift the Negev region’s economy, according to the legislation’s explanatory notes.

“This bill is a game-changer for the future of the Negev, which has endured years of unfulfilled promises,” said Dimona Mayor Benny Biton who attended the committee meeting.

“The widespread support for this bill is clear proof that there is a deep understanding – the Negev is the future growth and development hub of Israel in the coming decades.”

The new airport is expected to create 50,000 jobs.

It aims to reduce congestion at Ben-Gurion International Airport, which handles up to 40 million passengers annually. In 2019, a record 24 million travelers, including 4.5 million tourists, passed through Ben-Gurion, which is outside Tel Aviv.

However, Ilana Shafran, director of transportation at the Planning Administration, told lawmakers that by 2050, aviation passenger demand is expected to reach 80 million annually, making one new airport insufficient for Israel’s needs.

Israeli military officials oppose the location because of the site’s proximity to the Nevatim Air Force base.

Israel also has the Ramon International Airport outside Eilat, which opened in 2019. In its inaugural year, the Ramon airport handled 1.5 million passengers but the numbers have declined in recent years.

Israel plans to expand that airport’s capacity to four million passengers a year by 2030. Currently, it is mostly used for domestic flights.

The Israel Airport Authority completed upgrades to the Haifa International Airport in December.

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