A new takeoff and landing path for planes at Ben-Gurion International Airport is driving residents of the chareidi city of Modi’in Illit crazy. Transportation Minister Betzalel Smotrich promises residents the current reality is temporary. According to a Chareidim10 report, it is explained that problems with GPS navigation affecting takeoffs and landings has resulted in the change in the travel pattern for planes, with Smotrich explaining the new path is used in extreme cases only.
As reported last month by YWN-Israel, interference has impacted the GPS system assisting takeoffs and landings, and as a result, a new trajectory has been designated for landing when necessary, directly over Modi’in Illit.
The new route was prepared by the Israel Airports Authority at the beginning of the year. It is also open now because of the summer congestion and the GPS disruption issue. With the increase in flights during the summer months, residents of the chareidi city insist the new reality is truly unacceptable, pleading for relief.
According to a report in the daily Haaretz, the new landing pattern compels planes to fly at a low altitude over PA areas including Bituniya and Ramallah. As a result, the planes are in danger of being targeted by ground-to-air fire, but security officials have given their stamp of approval for the new flight pattern.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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6 Responses
pikuach nefesh docheh ha’kol, even noise in modiim illit.
Big deal. How low are they already anyway.
In Clifton when planes fly over on the way into EWR, they’re still high enough you hardly notice. Thank Gd for the newer quieter engines!
They wouldnt dare fly low over the sunbathers in Savyon, but Modiin Ilit- who cares?
TheMir, they fly very low over petach tikva which is a mostly secular city. Somehow I think that this is not meant to be unsympathetic to the chareidim.
Jersey jew, the article states that the planes fly extra low in order to avoid GPS interference.
I don’t know on what sources this article is based, but the main concern is that, throughout the week there were hardly (if any) planes. When Shabbos started (this and last Shabbos) the planes started passing over. In the evening after Maariv it started and it went on till maariv of Moitzee Shabbos. I think that this is the main concern of the inhabitants of Modiin Illit. It is a disturbance to the Shabbos.
If they fly over Savyon, we will run into a Tznius issue.