IAA: International travelers in June down 12% at Ben Gurion Airport

Ben Gurion international airport handled 941,945 travelers on 7,768 international and domestic flights in June
 
The Israel Airports Authority (IAA) reported last week that the number of international passengers moved through Ben Gurion Airport in June 2009 was down 12.5% compared with June 2008. Ben Gurion airport is Israel’s primary international airport, located a 20 minute drive from Tel-Aviv and a 40 minute drive from Jerusalem.
 
In a press release the IAA noted that Ben Gurion international airport handled 941,945 travelers on 7,768 international and domestic flights in June.
 
There were 7,130 international flights in June, 6% less than in June 2008.
 
The IAA also noted that the Ben Gurion -Heathrow airport route was the most popular in June, with 63,700 passengers, 18.6% more than in June 2008.
 
Over all the US – Israel route was the most popular route for Ben Gurion Airport passengers, with 131,521 arrivals and departures, 14.6% of total passenger traffic for the month.
 
The Tourism Ministry and Central Bureau of Statistics reported last week that number of tourists arriving to Israel is continuing to fall.
 
In the first half of 2009, only 1.2 million tourists entered the country - a 20% drop from the same period last year.
 
June numbers showed 208,000 tourists, down 13% from the 240,000 who visited in June 2008.