The Economic Affairs Committee on Sunday gave its final approval to a plan to build a new international airport in the south of the country at Nevatim, east of Beersheba.
The Knesset committee will move the draft bill forward to its second and third readings, marking a decisive step in favor of a public campaign advocating for an airport in the Negev.
Led by the Negev Takes Off from Nevatim group, a joint team of Negev and Jezreel Valley residents who campaigned for an international airport in the region, their efforts were deemed successful as the committee approved a series of regulations and directives that will make government ministries prioritize Nevatim over other alternatives.
Nevatim is about 65 km. from the Gaza border and adjacent to the airbase in the Negev that is home to the IAF’s most advanced fighter jets, the F-35.
The airbase was targeted by Iranian missiles last October.
The new airport, 132 km. from Tel Aviv, would take seven years to build and is planned to handle up to 15 million passengers annually, according to the bill.
The project is intended to help alleviate traffic at Ben-Gurion Airport and bolster the economy in the South by creating 50,000 jobs, particularly from the Bedouin community that lives nearby.
Initiated by Otzma Yehudit MK Almog Cohen, Yesh Atid MK Ram Ben Barak, Likud MK Shalom Danino, and Democrats MK Naama Lazimi, the bill has garnered support from other Knesset members across various factions, including over 80 MKs and ministers from the transportation, economic, environmental, and housing sectors, and other parts of society.
Likud MK David Bitan, the committee’s chairman, set the bill to a plenum vote as early as next week despite potential objections in the coming days.
“Negev Takes Off from Nevatim” supported the Knesset members’ move to bring the bill forward, calling it a “Dramatic moment in the years-long struggle to determine the airport’s location.”
“Nevatim is the right location – from security, economic, social, environmental, and health perspectives. We commend the Knesset members for their efforts, but we recognize that the path to implementing the law is still filled with challenges.”
Dimona Mayor Benny Biton praised the progress after attending the committee’s discussion.
“This bill is a game-changer for the future of the Negev, which has endured years of unfulfilled promises,” he said. “Nevatim Airport will provide economic and employment opportunities for all residents of the region. 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 bill to establish the Nevatim Airport represents a unique chapter in Israel’s history, helping eradicate agricultural destruction and potential evictions in the Jezreel Valley had the airport been built there.
According to “Negev Takes Off from Nevatim,” the move will help to reduce noise pollution for those living across central Israel, created by the constant flow of air traffic in and out of Ben-Gurion Airport.
The move is also expected to boost local business growth and investment in advanced transportation infrastructure.
Indeed, this establishment of an airport could be a game changer and would contribute to the economic growth of not only the south, but the whole of Israel, creating more opportunities in lesser-served regions.
Does Israel have a need for another airport?
Israeli security officials have opposed the Nevatim project due to its proximity to the airbase.
Ben-Gurion is Israel’s main air gateway, with a capacity of 40 million passengers annually. It is nearing its limit, according to the committee, which cited data showing 80 million are expected to pass through the airport by 2050.
In October 2024, the airport’s Terminal 1 closed to international flights for five months but will re-open this week.
In 2019, Israel opened Ramon Airport near Eilat and before the war with Hamas, a number of foreign carriers, such as Ryanair, operated flights from Europe to Ramon.
At present, the airport is being used largely for domestic flights.
Haifa’s small airport, the base of new airline Air Haifa is also an international hub for flights to Cyprus and Greece.
Most international carriers had stopped flying to Israel due to the war in Gaza, but many of them have now resumed flights, including Delta and United.
Reuters contributed to this report.