Ben Gurion Airport expansion approved

JERUSALEM (JTA) — The Israel Airports Authority has approved the expansion of Ben Gurion Airport’s Terminal 3.

The expansion plans, approved Sunday, are required to meet the needs of the growing number of passengers passing through the airport.

The plans include the construction of a fourth arm for the terminal, at a cost of $187 million. In addition to providing more spaces for airplanes, the expansion will include a lobby, cafes and stores, the Israeli business daily Globes reported.

Work also will begin early next year on upgrading Ben Gurion Airport’s runways, in order to double the current airplane traffic, at a cost of $227 million.