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Ovda Airport is a military air base and former joint-use civilian airport in the Uvda region of southern Israel, about 60 km (37 mi) north of Eilat. It was the country's second international airport. Ovda was originally built as a military airbase in 1980 following Israel's withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula as part of the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty because the Israeli Air Force needed alternative airfields to its Sinai bases. The airport ceased handling civilian flights on 31 March 2019 thanks to the opening of Ramon Airport, which is located much closer to the city of Eilat than Ovda.

Ovda Airport
IATA: VDA ICAO: LLOV
Summary
Airport type	Military
Operator	Israeli Air Force
Elevation AMSL	1,492 ft / 445 m
Coordinates	29°56′25″N 34°56′9″E
Website	http://www.iaa.gov.il
Map
VDA
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 03L/21R 8,530 2,600 Asphalt 03R/21L 9,843 3,000 Asphalt
Statistics (2017)
Passengers 209,078
Source: Israel Airports Authority[1]

In 2020 a plan was announced to establish Airpark, a large commercial aircraft storage facility at Ovda capable of storing hundreds of aircraft. The facility will be operated in association with IAI, a leading provider of aviation maintenance services.[2] The decision was taken in light of the impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Aviation, but the storage facility is intended to operate even after aviation returns to normal. The fact that the co-located military facilities provide security as well as existing aircraft maintenance capabilities in the area were pointed to as favorable location factors in addition to the dry desert climate which limits corrosion.[3]

History

Ovda Airport started out as an airbase for the Israeli Air Force, constructed by the United States as a replacement for Etzion Air Force Base. It opened in 1981. The Israeli Airports Authority began operations from Ovda Air Force Base in 1982, after the signing of the peace treaty with Egypt.[4] Previously all charter flights from Europe had landed at Etzion, however this was one of three airports in the Sinai that were handed over to Egypt as part of the Camp David Accords.[4] A civilian terminal was built at the airport which handled direct charter flights from Europe.[4]

In 1988 a decision was made that international flights bringing tourists to Eilat would land at Ovda, instead of at Eilat.[4] This allowed the operation of large, wide-body aircraft, such as the Boeing 747, which could not operate from Eilat Airport.[4] Between the late 1980s and 2019 most international flights landed at Ovda instead of Eilat. The runway at Ovda also allowed long range flights to take off for any European destination without the need to refuel.[4]

In 2005, the airport had 746 international aircraft movements and 82,479 international passenger movements.[5]

On 23 July 2014 after the temporary stoppage of international air traffic to Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport, due to rocket fire on Israeli cities from Gaza,[6] Ovda Airport was opened to accept all international traffic.[7] It was the diversion airport for flights to Israel until replaced in that role by Eilat Ramon Airport.

The airport ceased all civilian flights on March 31, 2019,[8] now that Ramon Airport in the Timna Valley has opened.[9]

Airlines and destinations

All civilian traffic was transferred to Ramon Airport on 1 April 2019.

Prior to its closure to civilian traffic, Ovda airport received mostly international flights from Europe operated as charter flights or by low cost carriers. Most domestic flights (to and from Ben Gurion Airport, Haifa Airport and - prior to its closure - Sde Dov Airport) continued to use Eilat Airport as it was much more centrally located.

Statistics

Total passengers and aircraft movements at Ovda Airport[1]

Year	Total passengers	Total aircraft movements
2009	104,340	1,474
2010	124,316	1,370
2011	139,353	1,466
2012	118,732	1,006
2013	121,395	1,074
2014	94,585	821
2016	128,595	1,009
2017	209,515	1,631

See also

• Taba Airport
• Operation Uvda

References

External links

Media related to Ovda Airport at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website
• Accident history for VDA at Aviation Safety Network

На других языках

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[de] Militärflugplatz Ovda

Der Militärflugplatz Ovda der Israelischen Luftwaffe (IAF) liegt im Süden Israels, rund 40 km nördlich des Badeortes Eilat, in einer großen Ebene der südlichen Negev-Wüste. Der ICAO-Code des Flugplatzes ist LLOV, der IATA-Code VDA. Der Flugplatz hat zwei Start- und Landebahnen mit Längen von 3000 und 2600 m.

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- [en] Ovda Airport

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[es] Aeropuerto Internacional de Ovda

El Aeropuerto Internacional de Ovda (en hebreo: נמל התעופה עובדה, Namal HaTe'ufa Ovda, también transliterado como Uvda) (IATA:VDA, ICAO:LLOV), es el segundo aeropuerto internacional de Israel, por detrás del Aeropuerto Internacional Ben Gurión de Tel Aviv. Está situado en el sur del país, a 60 km (40 millas) al norte de la ciudad de Eilat. Ovda fue construido originalmente como un aeropuerto de uso militar en el año 1980, a consecuencia de la retirada de la Península del Sinaí como parte del Tratado de Paz israelo-egipcio dado que la Fuerza Aérea Israelí necesitaba de bases aéreas alternativas a las bases del Sinaí. En la actualidad, el aeropuerto también da servicio como destino para numerosos vuelos con destino a Eilat, especialmente para las aeronaves más grandes que no pueden emplear la pista de aterrizaje más corta del Aeropuerto de Eilat. Se espera que las operaciones civiles dejen el aeropuerto en el año 2010, cuando el nuevo aeropuerto internacional de Eilat entre en funcionamiento.[1]

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[fr] Aéroport international Ovda

Ouvda ou Ovda (en hébreu : hébreu : עובדה, «fait accompli»), code IATA : VDA • code OACI : LLOV, est l'aéroport international d'Eilat, en Israël. Il est situé en plein désert, à une cinquantaine de kilomètres au nord-ouest d'Eilat. Il est aujourd'hui uniquement à usage militaire, ayant été remplacé par Aéroport international Ramon. Il accueillait essentiellement des vols charters en provenance de l'Europe (Paris, Londres, Amsterdam, Athènes…) et des vols réguliers vers Tel Aviv et le nord d'Israël.

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[it] Aeroporto di Ovda

L'Aeroporto di Ovda, in ebraico: נמל התעופה עוּבדה‎?, inglese Ovda Airport e in arabo: مطار عوفدا‎, (IATA: VDA, ICAO: LLOV) è un aeroporto israeliano situato a circa 45 km a nord, in linea d'aria, dal centro di Eilat, nella parte meridionale dello stato ebraico. Lo scalo è il secondo per movimenti nello stato d'Israele dopo l'Aeroporto di Tel Aviv-Ben-Gurion.

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[ru] Увда (аэропорт)

Международный аэропорт Увда́ (иногда «Овда»; ивр. ‏נמל התעופה עובדה‏‎; ИАТА: VDA, ИКАО: LLOV) — второй после аэропорта Бен-Гурион международный аэропорт в Израиле, расположенный в 60 км к северу от самого южного израильского города Эйлата. Аэропорт Увда был построен как военный аэропорт в 1980 году, после того, как государство Израиль в рамках Кэмп-Дэвидских соглашений возвратило Египту Синайский полуостров, захваченный у египтян во время Шестидневной войны, и ВВС Армии обороны Израиля остро нуждались в новых военных аэродромах, взамен доставшихся Египту.

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