The decision was made by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, and despite widespread opposition, he did not back down and Tel Aviv’s S’dei Dov Airport was closed at midnight on Monday, July 1, 2019.

Following in-depth discussions with Transportation Minister Bezalel Smotrich, legal advisers and professional elements, Prime Minister Netanyahu decided that there is no way to halt the closure of S’dei Dov Airport. Mr. Netanyahu insisted that any attempt to do so would cost the State of Israel billions of shekels and cause the state heavy damage.

At the same time, out of responsibility for the development of Eilat, Prime Minister Netanyahu – in conjunction with Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon and Transportation Minister Smotrich, and with the approval of Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit – directed that a NIS 400 million development plan be submitted to the Cabinet within three weeks. Finance Minister Kahlon and his staff promised to designate the budgetary source for the plan.

It was also decided that a ministerial team, to be chaired by Prime Minister Netanyahu, will verify implementation of the plan to develop Eilat.

Prime Minister Netanyahu and Transportation Minister Smotrich agreed on ensuring the continuity of air transportation to Eilat via Ben-Gurion International Airport at the same frequency that previously existed between Eilat and S’dei Dov.

Eilat residents are furious, as for them, they explain using Ben-Gurion Airport is not an acceptable alternative, as the time if will take to go to Terminal 3 and then be shuttled to Terminal 1 and go through the lengthy process at the airport will seriously hamper their lives. They explain that they were sent to Eilat on a shlichus, and have now been abandoned, as the airport was critical for them and to receive services.

For example, they cite that two of Israel’s HMOs sent letters asking to continue operating the airport, explaining that some of the doctors serving in Eilat will no longer be willing to come due to the increased time it will take to fly via Ben-Gurion.

Eilat leaders add the airport provided critical services, amid an awareness the city’s only hospital does not have oncology or cardiac units for example, and these patients will now have to fly via Ben-Gurion. They lament the fact they patients flying to the Tel Aviv area for chemotherapy are now going to have to endure the added bureaucracy of Ben-Gurion while they are in a weakened state. They point out the same is true regarding higher education and the additional burden placed on students who commuted via S’dei Dov to universities and colleges.

A number of decisions have been made by the government regarding medical care for Eilat residents, as they are well-aware of the vital role the small airport served for them.

In the tweet we see the last flight that took off from S’dei Dov before its closure.

סגירת שדה דב | הטיסה האחרונה מהשדה יצאה בשעה זו@NivYagur pic.twitter.com/BVzE8jhHsb

— גלצ (@GLZRadio) June 30, 2019

1. Benefits for patients from Eilat who receive medical treatment at the center:
• Financing a free taxi from Ben-Gurion Airport to the hospital and back.
• For chronically ill patients – financing a complete envelope that includes financing a taxi from one’s home to Ramon Airport, financing a flight, financing a taxi to the hospital and financing accommodations.

2. Benefits to residents of Eilat and passengers on a frequent basis:
• Free transportation from the airport bus at Terminal 1 at Ben-Gurion International Airport directly to the Arlozorov train station in Tel Aviv (for passengers without luggage).
• A dedicated shuttle bus from Eilat flights from Terminal 1 to the train station, which will be adapted to the flight schedule from Eilat.
• “Alpha Card” – a fixed ticket that will save the security check before the flight and will shorten the waiting time and stay at the airport.

3. Ben-Gurion Airport preparations:
• Prioritizing flights from Ben-Gurion Airport to Eilat and back.
• Upgrade of Terminal 1 at a cost of NIS 230 million.
• Flights to Eilat will take off and land from Terminal 1 only.
• Transferring the flight schedule from S’dei Dov to Ben-Gurion Airport.
• Training 400 parking spaces at Terminal 1 for flights to Eilat.
• Free parking at Ramon Airport for 36 hours.

4. Benefits for doctors who arrive in Eilat:
• Strengthening the medical system by means of special incentives for doctors flying to Eilat to provide medical services.
• Providing grants to medical teams who will relocate to Eilat for a period of five years (for example, a grant of up to NIS 1 million for a specialist)

Transportation Minister (Bayit Yehudi) Betzalel Smotrich explains that together with MKS Yoav Kisch (Likud) and Itzik Shmuli (Labor), he fought against the closure of the airport for three years, albeit, without success. He explains they were quite aware of the importance of the airport to Eilat residents and the hardships that would result with its closure.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)