Lecturers have stopped teaching, specialist doctors are refusing to come to town, and residents are giving up medical treatment.
Three years after the closure of Sde Dov - Eilat is still licking its wounds.
This is how it is when only one airport operates domestic flights between Tel Aviv and the southern city.
"As a resident of Eilat and a citizen of the State of Israel - I am ashamed," says Matan Bari, a native of the city who serves as deputy mayor of Eilat.
"Cold and emotionless decisions have been made by elected officials in the country, who have decided that land values are more valuable than human life, health and well-being. To pass once a week near Sde Dov and see that there is no construction and nothing happens there, it is frustrating.
"Eilat residents have to go up for celebrations, treatments, arrangements, family visits, vacations, and have to go through the hardships of Ben Gurion Airport," he adds.
The second option of getting to Eilat in the form of Road 90 is dangerous.
It's a bloody road and roulette.
The state must respond to the request of Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai, and establish a small airport for the large metropolis as it exists all over the world, and allow foreign companies to fly to the new Ramon-Eilat airport. "
Sde Dov before closing.
No response to needs (archive), Photo: Coco
Sde Dov Today, Photo: Liron Moldovan
Rivka Zaldis, director of the Eilat area at the Open University, says that since the closure of Sde Dov and the move to Ben Gurion Airport, each trip is much longer and more expensive. She and her friends often prefer to travel by car. Home. "It has always been difficult and expensive to bring facilitators here.
Today it is simply impossible.
The move to Ben Gurion Airport took Eilat 30 years back, and it limits and reduces every area - from business to higher education. "
"A waste of time"
Talia Dolev, a resident of the city, attends meetings and seminars at the center.
According to her, a working day that starts at nine in the morning is not possible for her because the first flight that leaves Eilat is at 8 in the morning.
She explains that in an ideal situation - within two hours of taking off, it is possible to reach the center of Tel Aviv, but that is not what actually happens.
"When there is a terrible waste of time and unexpected delays on flights, you are a prisoner. At work they had to finance accommodation for me in the center the night before, so that I could get to the meeting on time."
She adds that an appointment with a professional doctor is often canceled due to a delayed flight, and the waiting process begins again.
"The closure of Sde Dov is a death blow and a severe severance. In 2022, Eilat will be named 'the most difficult periphery neglected by all governments.'"
A paralyzed city.
Eilat, Photo: Yehuda Ben Itach
Three years after the closure of Sde Dov, there does not seem to be an effective alternative to Ben Gurion Airport when it comes to domestic flights. Ramon Airport near Eilat remains deserted. At the other end, in Haifa, the take-off and landing runways are too short. Or Boeing 737 will not be able to land there, so there is no answer for domestic flights in the north either.
There is no alternative on the horizon
Against this background, all air traffic in Israel is concentrated at Ben Gurion Airport, which is having a hard time withstanding loads.
This means that many foreign airlines will not be able to add flights to Israel.
There are reputable airlines that apply to fly to Israel and do not receive a permit.
Their representatives make it clear in the talks that they would be happy to operate direct flights to Israel, but at the moment they are not receiving the appropriate permits due to the congestion.
Did not help resolve the crisis.
Ramon Airport, Photo: Yehuda Ben Itach
In 2019, about 50,000 passengers passed through Haifa Airport, a number that sounds low but could serve quite a few passengers who live in the area and want to go on vacation in nearby countries such as Greece and Cyprus, as small planes that can land there can reach any neighboring country.
Ben Gurion Airport director Shmuel Zakai announced a few weeks ago that the authority lacks about a thousand employees.
Damage to domestic tourism
Airport executives explain that in the past they thought about enlarging Sde Dov and training it as an international airport, which could have made it a complementary airport to Ben Gurion Airport, but the ideas that came up from time to time have not been implemented. And domestic.
Unsuccessful check.
Residents of Eilat before the closure of Sde Dov, Photo: Yehuda Ben Itach
The closure of Sde Dov also hurts domestic tourism: it is not profitable for most Israelis to fly to Eilat, since the trip to Ben Gurion Airport, the wait there, the flight to Ramon - which is also not in Eilat - and the journey from there, often make the process longer and more expensive. The southern.
In this regard, the heads of the councils near Ramat David recently announced that they support the construction of an airport in the area, but the residents objected.
The proposal for an airport in Nevatim currently seems less feasible and is accompanied by quite a few difficulties, and in the State of Israel the aviation distress continues, for which no solution can be found.
Were we wrong?
Fixed!
If you found an error in the article, we'll be happy for you to share it with us
