IAA data shows an increase of 22 percent over 2007; The most significant increase in passenger traffic of 40 percent was recorded at the Yitzchak Rabin terminal

In 2008, 3,881,495 people passed through the border terminals of the Israel Airports Authority, the body responsible for   administering the land-to-land border crossings (Taba, Yitzchak Rabin, Allenby, and the Jordan River) between Israel and its neighbors. This is an increase of 22 percent over 2007, when 3,184,296 people passed through Israel's border terminals.

The most significant increase in passenger movement was recorded at the Yitzchak Rabin terminal located some three kilometers north of Eilat. 439,356 people passed through the terminal, an increase of 40 percent in passenger traffic over 2007. At the Taba border crossing, the southernmost border point between Israel and Egypt, an increase of 25.2 percent was recorded in passenger traffic, with 1,433,892 people passing through. The Allenby terminal recorded an increase of 17.4 percent, with 1,501,474 people, and the Jordan River terminal 506,773 people, a 13.5 percent increase in passenger traffic.

A decrease of 43 percent in cargo traffic was recorded at the terminals administered by the IAA, the most significant decrease being at the Karni and Kerem Shalom terminals, which were operated in accordance with directives from the Ministry of Defense, and were placed under the ministry's administration from October 2008.

The cargo terminal at the Allenby border crossing recorded a growth of 19 percent in annual cargo traffic, with 13,634 tons of cargo. The cargo terminal at the Jordan River recorded a growth of 8.6 percent, with 32,161 tons of cargo in 2008, and the cargo terminal at the Nitzana border crossing recorded a growth of 7 percent over 2007, with 11,652 tons of cargo in 2008.

IAA Director General, Kobi Mor, said: "The task of operating Israel's border crossings is a national assignment that has been placed in the hands of the IAA, and we attach the greatest importance to carrying it out properly. The growing traffic of people passing through Israel's border terminals requires the IAA to prepare accordingly. The IAA is committed to the highest level of service at all its installations, and invests a lot of money for improving the services it provides according to the standards that it sets for all its facilities."