A new IL 5 million radar control system, most of it built in Israel, was dedicated at Ben Gurion Airport yesterday. According to airport officials the new installation is tantamount to a new runway inasmuch as it permits much shorter intervals between landings and take-offs. It also keeps incoming planes at prescribed altitudes and at a safe distance from each other.
The new system, greatly increasing the safety of operations at Israel’s international airport, was ordered after a series of near accidents climaxed by one in 1970 involving a plane carrying Premier Golda Meir to the United States. At that time, traffic was controlled mainly by visual reports. The new radar system has a range of 150 kilometers. Most of its components were manufactured by the Elta Electronics Co. of Israel. The rest were purchased in England and Canada.
As the Year Turns, Support the Journalism You Trust. JTA covers the stories shaping Jewish life around the world — with the depth this moment calls for. As you reflect on the year ahead, consider a gift that keeps independent Jewish journalism strong.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
