This is a 3 percent increase compared with the same period last year; August 2008 was the busiest month the airport has ever experienced, with 1.34 million passengers; in July 2008 1.198 million passengers passed through the airport.

During July and August 2008, 2,534,803 passengers passed through Ben-Gurion Airport – a record summer. During the summer, the record of passenger movement through the airport was broken on three occasions: on July 31 the record was broken when 54,857 passengers passed through the airport on one day; a further record was achieved on August 14, with 56,000 passengers, and the all-time record was achieved on August 21, when 60,000 passengers passed through the airport on 354 flights. On the last day of August around 55,000 passengers passed through Ben-Gurion Airport on 334 flights.

IAA Director General, Kobi Mor, said: “This recent record-breaking summer proved once again that Ben-Gurion Airport is equipped to provide a high level of service, on a par with world standards, to large numbers of passengers. The operational readiness in conjunction with beefing up of personnel helped to ensure that the period of intense activity was completed smoothly and without any setbacks. Throughout the year, and especially during the busy season, the IAA pays special attention to the operational side of its work, and thanks to the “commitment to safety” campaign, the summer passed safely and successfully. The IAA is currently gearing up to handle the increased movement of passengers during the September-October holiday period through its various installations: Ben-Gurion Airport, Eilat airport, the internal-flights airports and the border crossings.”

870,000 passengers are expected to pass through Ben-Gurion Airport during the September-October holiday period – an increase of about 10 per cent over 2007. Particularly busy days with more than 50,000 passengers are expected on the eve of the Jewish New Year (September 28) and after that on the following dates: Thursday, October2; Sunday, October 5; Sunday, October 12; Thursday, October 16; and Sunday, October19.