Ben-Gurion Airport may relocate to Eilat amid rising tensions with Iran - analysis

In every attack on Israel, whether by Iran or Hezbollah, Ben-Gurion Airport is considered a potential target. The airport in Lod is a national symbol, the main gateway to Israel through which nearly 60,000 people pass daily - even now when dozens of foreign airlines have canceled or suspended their flights to Israel. The fact that US Air Force transport planes land at the civilian airport with ammunition, and that the area between Yehud and Lod and Highway 40 houses the Israel Aerospace Industries headquarters and some of its production facilities, makes the region a prominent target in the intelligence files of countries and terrorist organizations. The Air Force does not disclose the locations of Iron Dome batteries, but interceptions have often been observed around Ben-Gurion Airport. Even when the airport was closed temporarily due to rocket fire, it was shut down for a short while to clear interception debris from the runways to avoid damaging aircraft engines and tires. Currently, there are no plans to close the airport. However, in case of prolonged attacks, the "Silver Wings" contingency plan will begin, and the Ben-Gurion Airport’s operations will be relocated to Ramon Airport near Eilat.<br/>