Jerusalem International Airport

The closure was a direct result of the security situation during the Second Intifada. The airport's location, immediately adjacent to the Palestinian neighborhoods of Kafr Aqab and Qalandia, and near the city of Ramallah, placed it within range of hostile fire. The risk to civilian aircraft, passengers, and staff was deemed unacceptably high, making continued operations untenable. The facility was subsequently converted to a military base.

The site is no longer an airport. The former terminal building is derelict and abandoned. A significant portion of the airport grounds is used as an IDF military base. The Israeli West Bank barrier runs along the eastern perimeter of the former airport, separating it from the adjacent Palestinian neighborhood of Kafr Aqab. The surrounding area has been developed into the Atarot Industrial Zone, one of the largest in Jerusalem. The runway, while largely intact, is unused for aviation and has been used for various events, including car races and driver training.

Jerusalem International Airport, also known as Atarot Airport or Kalandia Airport, has a rich and complex history.

- **British Mandate Era (1924-1948):** It was established by the British authorities in 1924 as the first airport in Mandatory Palestine. It initially served the Royal Air Force (RAF) and was also used for prominent international visitors.

- **Jordanian Rule (1948-1967):** After the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the airport fell under Jordanian control and was renamed Kalandia Airport. It was assigned the ICAO code OJJR and served as the primary airport for the Jordanian-annexed West Bank, with carriers like Royal Jordanian Airlines operating flights to Amman, Beirut, Cairo, and other regional destinations.

- **Israeli Rule (1967-2000):** Following the Six-Day War in 1967, Israel captured the airport, annexed the area into the Jerusalem municipality, and renamed it Atarot Airport. It was assigned the ICAO code LLJR and the IATA code JRS. It primarily functioned as a domestic airport, with regular flights by Arkia and El Al to Eilat and Haifa. It also handled international charter flights, private VIP aircraft, and visits by foreign heads of state. The user-provided ICAO code, IL-0023, is a non-standard, post-closure designation used in some Israeli databases, not its official operational code.

The prospects for reopening the site as an airport are effectively zero. The land has been rezoned for other purposes. In 2021, the Israeli government gave final approval for a plan to build a new residential neighborhood (settlement) of approximately 9,000 housing units on the grounds of the former airport. This major construction project, known as the Atarot settlement plan, permanently repurposes the land, making any future aviation use impossible. The political and security realities of the location also preclude any realistic chance of it ever serving as an airport again.