The Freedom of Information Law which was passed in 1998 (hereinafter: "the Law"), and which came into effect in 1999, states that every Israeli citizen or resident has the right to receive information from a public authority, subject to the provisions thereof.

The Israel Airports Authority, which was established by virtue of the Israel Airports Authority Law -1977 (hereinafter: "the Authority") cones under the definition of the term "public authority", and is therefore obligated to act in accordance with the provisions of the law and the regulations deriving thereof.

The authority makes a distinction between the function that handles requests by virtue of the Freedom of Information Law (hereinafter: "the Officer in Charge ") and the function handling public affairs, entrusted in the capable hands of Mrs. Telma Shamir, Manager of Public Affairs. The Public Affairs Office belongs to the Passenger Service Division, established as part of the desire and out of the obligation to render the best possible service and to strive for its improvement, for the benefit of those who enter through the gates of the authority and all its facilities - including providing information about this service. Aside from the Public Affairs Department's activities, the Authority operates the Information Department, which is manned twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, including Israeli holidays and festivals.

The Authority's website, www.iaa.gov.il contains a lot of information pertaining to the Authority's activities, the facilities it operates, services offered to the public, publications, tenders, a classified ads section and current news, all this in order to make all information available and easily accessible to those who seek it.

As the Officer in Charge of making information available to the public, I am a firm believer in the principle of transparency with respect to the Authority's activities, since the Authority's management sees great importance in cooperating with those who request information, whether by virtue of the law or for the purpose of learning about the services it provides.

I respectfully present the Annual Report for 2005, as required by law.

This report includes information concerning the Authority, enumerates its facilities, presents the organizational structure, lists the main activities in the current and preceding year, and indicates the Authority's budget. In order to make things easier for the requestor, and shorten the request process, the Information Request Procedure attached to this website may be reviewed.

I wish to thank the representatives of the Authority's various departments for their cooperation in preparing this report. This cooperation assists me throughout the year in carrying out my role in the fastest and best possible manner, despite the limitations deriving from the fact that the Authority is an entity that operates and manages a large number of airports and land border terminals all over the country.