Transport minister Yisrael Katz approved Timna airport planning budget

The new international airport will replace the current airport in Eilat. The total cost for the airport will be NIS 1.7 billion
 
Transport Minister Yisrael Katz authorized last week funds for the construction of an international airport in Timna, 18 kilometers north of the Red Sea. which will serve Eilat directly for flights from abroad. The Timna airport will replace the current one in Eilat.
 
The current Eilat airport will cease operations and be converted for commercial use, once the new facility is open.
 
The total cost for the airport will be NIS 1.7 billion, with the initial funding authorized by Katz NIS 56 million ($15 million).
 
Construction planning for the airport will take two years, and it is expected to include a runway at least 3.6 kilometers long, sufficient for large jets able to reach any destination in northern Europe.
 
The Timna airport project will include state of the art passenger terminal, duty free shops as well as widening Highway 90 (the Arava Highway) to four lanes as far as Eilat. When completed, travel time between Eilat and Timna will be ten minutes.