Ben-Gurion Airport, the aerial gateway to Israel, provides a high level of service as is standard for major, modern, international airports around the world, while at the same time maintaining security, devoting meticulous attention to safety, and participating in the global "green airport" trend.

With the aim of streamlining the procedure of leaving the country, alongside maintaining a high level of security and improving passenger and aircraft services, we are active in several areas, including:

·         Developing a unique, first-of-its-kind system for technological security inspection for departing passengers, which, in its final configuration, will deal with all flight procedures for passengers at Ben-Gurion Airport. The "Unipass" system will enable passengers to perform the security inspection on their own, will shorten the inspection time, improve the service and streamline  the processes passengers undergo on arriving at  Ben-Gurion Airport on their way abroad, while at the same time maintaining an extremely high level of security for which Israel is renowned.  

·         Setting up and operating a fully automated security inspection system, integrated with the sorting system and conforming with international standards. The system will inspect the departing passengers' baggage at the required security level, while at the same time significantly improving the level of service offered to passengers.

We are about to introduce a series of projects for increasing capacity and for raising the level of safety at Ben-Gurion Airport. The projects include: reorganizing and upgrading the Ben-Gurion Airport runway system, including the extension of runway 03/21, modifying operational protocols, the design of a new control tower, planning a fourth concourse (concourse E) for the air terminal, as well as expanding the landside terminal and the parking areas.

We attach great significance to and invest vast resources in environmental quality, and in transforming Ben-Gurion Airport into a "Green Airport". This approach manifests itself in the implementation of a master plan for waste disposal and recycling, upgrading the treatment of open spaces, emphasizing "environmentally-focused management", operating a state-of-the-art sewage treatment plant, maximizing the use of waste water for various purposes (in the cooling  towers, unlimited irrigation, etc.), upgrading control against leaks from the fuel lines, examining alternative energy sources and saving energy costs, assimilating green construction principles, examining alternatives for "green purchases", etc.

During 2009 a survey was conducted among passengers and people accompanying passengers, with the aim of examining the airport's quality of service. The survey, conducted by the ACI (Airport Council Int’l), found that for the third successive year Ben-Gurion Airport ranks highest among airports in the Middle East.

I wish to thank all Ben-Gurion Airport employees and managers, to whom we owe this international recognition.

Sincerely,

Shmuel Kandel

Ben-Gurion Airport Managing Director