Ben Gurion Airport Parking Full, Public Urged to Use Public Transport

Israel's Airports Authority has issued an unusual announcement urging travelers and those accompanying them to avoid arriving at Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) by private car, as all parking lots are currently at full capacity. This situation stems from a significant increase in passenger volume during the High Holidays and Sukkot festival.

During the period from Yom Kippur to after Sukkot, approximately 1.13 million passengers are expected to pass through TLV. On each day of Sukkot, over 90,000 passengers are transiting through the airport. Popular destinations for Israelis include Greece, Cyprus, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Germany, Georgia, and France.

The surge in travelers has led to considerable congestion and delays. In the past seven days, the average delay for departures from TLV has been 63 minutes, with only about 16% of flights leaving on time. Arrivals are experiencing an average delay of 50 minutes. Airlines reporting the most significant delays include Tus Airways (138 minutes), Bluebird (133 minutes), and Arkia (76 minutes).

The Airports Authority advises the public to opt for public transportation to reach the airport until further notice, to alleviate the severe parking and traffic issues.