Israel to open southern Ramon Airport to Palestinians: media

JERUSALEM, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Israel has approved a plan to allow Palestinian passengers to use Ramon International Airport in southern Israel, local news site Ynet reported Tuesday.

The first charter flight for Palestinian passengers under the plan will be bound for the Turkish city of Antalya in later August, it noted.

However, travelers from the West Bank still need to cross the Israeli-run border crossings to Jordan and enter Israel from the neighboring country. They would also undergo security procedures before and after arriving the airport.

Palestinian Authority has not yet made an official response regarding the issue.

Ramon International Airport, near the southernmost Red Sea resort city of Eilat, was opened in January 2019. It has been struggling with a decrease in passengers since the COVID-19 pandemic.