Eilat Airport

The airport was permanently closed and replaced by the new, larger Ramon International Airport (IATA: ETM, ICAO: LLER). The primary reasons for its replacement were:
1. **Urban Encroachment & Safety:** The airport was located in the heart of Eilat's city center, surrounded by hotels and residential areas. This created significant noise pollution and posed a major safety risk with aircraft on final approach flying low over the city.
2. **Developmental Limitations:** The airport's central location physically divided the city and severely restricted urban development and the expansion of the tourism district.
3. **Operational Constraints:** Its single, short runway (approximately 1,900 meters) could not accommodate large, wide-body jets used for long-haul international flights. This forced most international tourists to fly into Ovda Airport (LLOV), a military airbase 60 km north of the city, creating an inconvenient transfer process.
4. **Consolidation:** The new Ramon Airport was built to consolidate all of Eilat's civilian air traffic (both domestic from Eilat Airport and international from Ovda Airport) into a single, modern, and secure facility.

The airport is permanently closed and has been completely demolished. Following its closure in 2019, all infrastructure, including the terminal, control tower, and runway, was dismantled. The extensive 185-acre (750-dunam) plot of land is now the site of a major urban redevelopment project. The plan is to transform the former airport grounds into a new city district, connecting the eastern and western parts of Eilat. This development includes new hotels, thousands of residential units, commercial centers, public parks, and promenades, effectively extending the city's tourist area and coastline.

Eilat Airport, also known as J. Hozman Airport (former IATA: ETH, former ICAO: LLET), was a vital link for the city of Eilat for 70 years. Established in 1949, shortly after the city was secured by Israel in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, it was initially a simple dirt strip. For decades, it served as the primary gateway connecting the remote southern city to central and northern Israel.

Operations it handled:
- **Domestic Hub:** It was the main hub for domestic flights to and from Tel Aviv (both Ben Gurion and the now-closed Sde Dov airports) and Haifa. The primary operators were Israeli airlines Arkia and Israir.
- **Limited International Flights:** Due to its short runway, it could only handle smaller jet aircraft like the Boeing 737/757 and Airbus A320 family. It received a limited number of direct international charter and scheduled flights from nearby European destinations.
- **Tourism Gateway:** The airport was instrumental in the development of Eilat as a major national and international tourist destination, bringing millions of visitors to the Red Sea resort city over its lifetime.

There are zero prospects for reopening. The closure is permanent, and the site's redevelopment into a new urban quarter is already underway. The land is considered prime real estate, and its new purpose is to foster the city's growth. All of Eilat's air traffic is now handled by Ramon International Airport, which was specifically designed and built to be the city's sole, long-term aviation gateway.