Israel Approves Second Major International Airport to Boost Logistics and Tourism

Under the direction of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a government resolution will be submitted for approval this coming Sunday to determine the location of Israel's first complementary international airport in Ziklag, located in the Negev region.

The decision was finalized by the Prime Minister following a discussion held with Minister of Transport Miri Regev, Deputy Minister Almog Cohen, the Acting Director General of the Prime Minister's Office, and senior officials from the Israeli Ministries of Finance, Transport, and Defense.

The establishment of a complementary international airport is a national necessity given the continuous growth in the number of passengers flying to and from Israel. The decision to establish the first airport in the south is significant news for the Israeli aviation industry and even greater news for the entire Negev region.

The airport is expected to generate thousands of new jobs, strengthen the regional economy, and is part of a broad move led by the Israeli government to reduce socio-economic gaps and effectively eliminate the concept of the "periphery."

Minister of Transport Miri Regev stated: "This is a historic decision that strengthens Israel's skies, the economy, and the Negev. A complementary international airport in the south is a massive growth engine that will create employment, develop new opportunities, and connect the Negev to the centers of activity in Israel and the world. From today, we no longer speak of the periphery, but of growth centers. This is a policy of action, not just words; we are already preparing so that the complementary airport will be established and operate in the most efficient, safe, and advanced manner."

Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich added: "The establishment of a complementary international airport in the Negev is a top-tier economic, national, and strategic decision. This is a move that connects security resilience with economic growth, and advanced infrastructure development with the actual strengthening of the periphery. We are investing in the Negev not as a slogan but as a policy: high-quality employment, transport and aviation infrastructure, and full connectivity of the south to the economic centers of Israel and the world. Establishing the airport in the south alongside a future airport in the north is the way to build a future and truly close gaps."

Deputy Minister Almog Cohen remarked: "Less than seven kilometers from where the cursed white pickup trucks drove during the October 7th massacre, the State of Israel will establish an international airport that will provide high-quality and essential employment for the continued prosperity of the Negev—an airport that will bring with it a boundary-breaking and reality-changing ecosystem. I thank Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for making this historic decision and Minister Miri Regev for the close partnership. I am overjoyed that after much effort, the plan is taking shape—and despite everything, the Negev will take off."