1.
GV Airport control building
0.05

2.
SV Islander aircraft taxies past airport buildings
0.11

3.
SV Ben Gurion with ministers goes forward to cut tape
0.24

4.
SV Ben Gurion and party walk to aircraft (2 shots)
0.40

5.
Press round aircraft
0.43

6.
CU Ben Gurion in aircraft and aircraft taxies (3 shots)
1.07

7.
SV Passengers boarding ARKIA 'plane
1.10

8.
Airport building and control tower
1.14

9.
Airliner takes off
1.25



Initials ESP/0121 ESP/0136



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Jerusalem Airport was declared officially reopened on Monday (26 February) after eighteen months of modernisation and construction work which has cost more than 500,000 pounds (1,175,000 US dollars). The first President of Israel, David Ben Gurion, cut the tape to inaugurate the airport.

The Atarot airport, Jerusalem, was originally laid down by the British Royal Air Force in the 1930's. It was extended by the Jordanians but was not properly levelled. It was unsuitable for anything larger than a Herald 50-seat aircraft. This was the plane that Arkia, the Israeli internal airline used for its Jerusalem flights before the airport closed down.

Now the runways are flat and can take 80-seat Viscounts, Super Caravelles and Boeing 727 and 737 jets. But the airport is expected to be by-passed by international airlines because of the controversy over the political status of East Jerusalem.