Airport type Public Serves Kiryat Shmona 03/21 4,423 Elevation 115 m | Owner Disputed Elevation AMSL 376 ft / 115 m 4,423 1,348 Code KSW | |
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Kiryat Shmona Airport (Hebrew: שדה התעופה קריית שמונה) (IATA: KSW, ICAO: LLKS) is a public Israeli airport located 2 km east of the northern town of Kiryat Shmona.
Its history, based on lack of economic viability and local political differences, has seen various closures and reopenings.
Arkia handled domestic flights until end of 2003, when it closed down due to a lack of passenger traffic.
Now rights to fly a domestic route to and from the airport are held by Tamir Airways, while rights to operate the landing strip are owned by a separate company that is in a dispute with Tamir Airways.
In 2006, the new airport terminal was opened.
Tamir Airways announced that it would stop flying to Upper Galilee shortly before the Second Lebanon War broke out, but they changed their mind because they saw it as a "mission of national importance". Nevertheless, they ceased their (twice a day) flights to Sde Dov Airport on June 1, 2007.
Currently, the airport operator and the mayor of Kiryat Shmona have yet to resolve the dispute and because of this the airport does not function.
The next closest airport is Ben Ya'akov near Rosh Pina, 30 km south.