Story ID: 
Israel To Receive New Airport
By: Curt Epstein
Caption: The Israeli ministry of tourism announced plans for the construction of a new international airport scheduled to open in 2014.
Word Count: 93
The Israeli ministry of tourism announced plans for the construction of a new international airport scheduled to open in 2014. Located in Timna, near the southern seaside resort town of Eilat, the new $422 million facility will replace two existing airports in the region and will offer a light rail system directly into Eilat. The airport–which is expected to spark a 300-percent increase in tourism to the area–will be named after Israel’s first astronaut, the late Ilan Ramon, who perished when the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated on atmospheric re-entry in 2003.