Ramon International Airport, officially named Ilan and Assaf Ramon Airport, is a major new international gateway in southern Israel, located in the Timna Valley about 19 km north of Eilat. It replaced two older airports—Eilat Airport and Ovda Airport—consolidating domestic, low-cost, and charter flight operations into a single modern facility. Opened in January 2019 after construction began in 2013 and costing approximately $445.85 million, it stands as Israel’s first greenfield civil airport built entirely from scratch by the Israel Airport Authority (IAA)[1][2][3]. The airport features a 3,600-meter runway capable of handling most types of aircraft, including large wide-body jets. Its single passenger terminal covers around 30,000 m², designed architecturally to blend into the Negev desert landscape, inspired by natural rock formations in nearby Timna Park. The terminal’s interior showcases desert-themed décor, with modern amenities such as 32 check-in counters, eight boarding gates, duty-free shops, restaurants, luggage services, and prayer rooms. Supporting infrastructure includes advanced security systems, a fire station, luggage sorting technology, and a 50-meter-high air traffic control tower meeting international standards[1][2][5]. Designed for an initial capacity of about 1.8 to 2 million passengers annually, Ramon Airport is projected to expand to handle over 4 million passengers by 2030, reflecting its role as a key hub for tourism to Eilat and southern Israel’s resorts, including the Dead Sea and Arava Valley. It supports a variety of international airlines such as Ryanair, which inaugurated the airport’s first international flight in March 2019, along with Wizz Air, Lufthansa, and others. The airport also serves as Israel’s second busiest after Ben Gurion Airport and functions as a primary diversion airport[3][4]. Ramon Airport’s strategic location, moder