Israel plans to inaugurate a new international airport in the south of the country near the Red Sea later this month, the transport minister announced on Tuesday. The Ramon airport will begin with only domestic flights before gradually moving toward full operation, Transport Minister Israel Katz said in a statement. Construction costs for the airport have been put at 1.7 billion shekels ($455 million, 395 million euros). It will replace Ovda airport, some 60 kilometres away from Eilat, and will be able to serve as an alternative to Ben-Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv during times of emergency. The new airport is named after Ilan Ramon, Israel’s first astronaut who died in the crash of the space shuttle Columbia.

Source: Punch January 01, 2019 16:29 UTC