News Brief

October was a good month for Ben Gurion Airport; over 1.1 million people passed through the airport into and out of Israel during the month, on a total of 8,225 flights. There were 7,650 international flights during the month, 5.37% more than in October 2008. Flights inside Israel were up this year as well, with 41,041 travelers flying to destinations inside Israel, 5.32A% more than the 38,965 who flew in October of last year.

Forty one percent of international travelers flew with Israeli airlines El Al, Arkia, Sun D'or, and IsrAir, 11.73% more than did last October. The airlines that most increased business this year included El Al, Alitalia, and BMI, a British carrier new to Israel. The most popular single destination for Israelis going abroad was London (Heathrow Airport), where 36.74% of all Israelis deplaned, while the most visited country was the U.S., where 126,824 Israelis headed.