Service within 10 minutes: New 'accessible' lounge at Ben Gurion Airport - for passengers with disabilities

February 11, 2025   

Yesterday (Monday), Minister of Transportation Miri Regev inaugurated the new 'Ne'azir' lounge at Ben Gurion Airport. The lounge offers a centralized and comprehensive service for passengers who need assistance, from all airlines except El Al, which operates its own dedicated service. The lounge centralizes all stages of check-in and flight registration in one place, for maximum convenience. It includes security checkpoints, reception and registration counters, as well as self-check-in stations. Luggage is sent directly from the lounge to the belly of the plane, after which passengers move to a designated line for hand luggage inspection, located nearby, and from there continue directly to border control. The entire process is expected to take up to ten minutes of waiting. In accordance with the Equal Rights for People with Disabilities Law, the responsibility for treating passengers with assistance and their dignity applies to airlines from the moment they enter the terminal until they arrive at their destination. The new lounge services will be provided by the airlines' ground handling companies, significantly improving the service experience for passengers who need assistance. The ceremony was held with the participation of Moshe Ben-Zaken, Director General of the Ministry of Transport and Road Safety, Sharon Kedmi, Director General of the Airports Authority, representatives of disabled organizations in Israel, and captive survivor Maya Regev, who was abused by the terrorists who treated her leg, which was injured by gunfire, during her escape from the Nova party area. Minister of Transport Miri Regev: "Our main role as the Ministry of Transport is to provide mobility to all citizens of Israel, everywhere. I see a double and doubled commitment to ensuring that every site and every means of transportation are also accessible to people with disabilities. With the launch of the new 'Assistance' lounge at Ben Gurion Airport, we are marking another step today to make it easier for people with limited mobility on their way abroad, in a unique initiative that exists only at a few airports in the world." Director General of the Ministry of Transport and Road Safety, Moshe Ben Zaken: "Concern and consideration for people with disabilities is a central and deep value that Minister Regev is careful to instill among all employees of the ministry and to implement in every project we promote. The new "accessible" lounge at Ben Gurion Airport represents the Ministry of Transport's approach on this issue, which strives not only to meet the requirements of the law but also to go beyond what is required and ensure optimal accessibility and mobility for every person who, for various reasons, is limited in one way or another." Ben Gurion Airport Director, Udi Bar Oz: "We are proud to provide an improved and respectful service experience for passengers with disabilities. The new lounge will make the travel process easier for them and make it more pleasant. Ben Gurion Airport continues to work constantly to improve service, accessibility and the customer experience for all passengers." Chairman of the Accessibility Israel Association, Yuval Wagner: "Accessibility Israel has been leading the issue of accessibility for people with disabilities in Israel for 25 years. Congratulations to the Airports Authority On the launch of the new disabled lounge. This is a unique concept of its kind in the world, which will provide in one place all the assistance required for people with disabilities of their level for flying abroad." Alex Friedman, Chairman of the 'Disabled, Not Half a Human' organization: "The inauguration of the disabled terminal is an exciting and important event, which takes us another step forward in making the aviation industry accessible to people with disabilities, and I welcome this. We have a long way to go and we are working in cooperation with the Minister of Transportation Miri Regev and the Director General of the Ministry of Transportation Moshe Ben-Zaken, on the way to more good news.".