The cabinet has voted to close down Tel Aviv’s Sdei Dov Airport no later than 2018. The airport currently sits on 1,300 dunam (325 acres) of land, upon which 12,000 housing units are planned for the future. Most of the land, 800 dunam (200 acres) is owned by the IDF.

The steering committee in charge of moving the project ahead is being led by Harel Locker, the prime minister’s bureau chief; the domestic flights that use Sdei Dov will be relocated to an area of Ben-Gurion International Airport currently used for military aircraft. The air force base at Ben-Gurion will be relocated to the Negev in the south.

Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz adds the decision will lead to significantly alleviating the home shortage in that area of the country.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)