Passover vacation is the perfect time for travelers to escape their daily lives for adventure. During Passover, thousands of Israelis chose to do just that. Schools and some offices go on break for about 3 weeks, and bureaucratic offices and services are in holiday mode too. Thanks to the recent Open Skies agreement, where about 130 new and direct flights are flying between Europe and Israel, the Ben Gurion airport has seen a large increase in action this past week.
On Sunday alone, officials expected over 80,000 people to pass through the airport to spend Passover abroad. From last year, this number has risen about 18%, and created a need for more personnel, and a lot more patience. Most Israelis seemed to be going to the USA, Italy, Germany, France, many layovers in Turkey, and a slew of about 4,000 who traveled back to Sinai.
To keep the order, the airport has also instilled a new rule. Where luggage carriers used to be free, now people must put down a NIS 10 (about $3.00) deposit on credit card to get a luggage cart. This is to encourage people returning the luggage carts, as prior, the carts would be left all over the airport and parking lot.
Passover is the holiday where Jews commemorate the Exodus from Egypt and celebrate their newfound freedom. It seems the Jews are still finding their own ways to exodus and find their freedom.
