Following record number of tourists, Israel to add 388,000 square feet to main terminal at Ben Gurion International Airport.

JTA - Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport will undertake a major expansion at a cost of 1 billion shekels, or $280 million, in order to meet the demand of a record number of tourists.

The 388,000-square-foot expansion of the terminal for overseas travelers will take place on four levels and include 88 new check-in counters.

The airport is expecting a record number of individual arrivals and departures in 2019 — more than 25 million. There were some 20.8 million entries and exits in 2017.

As a stopgap measure to relieve congestion during the busy summer travel season, the airport plans to set up 25 temporary service counters in a structure adjacent to the overseas terminal building.

This summer, a number of mostly European low-cost airlines reportedly are planning to start service to Ben Gurion, Israeli media outlets reported.