Ben-Gurion Airport prepares for 5 million travelers during the Jewish holiday season

The Israel Airports Authority expects nearly 5 million Israeli and international travelers to pass through Ben-Gurion International Airport over the upcoming Jewish holiday season.

The busy period begins with the Jewish New Year this Friday evening and is expected to last until Simchat Torah on Oct. 7.

The Israel Airports Authority (IAA) urged travelers to take measures to reduce the expected high congestion in and around the airport.

"The Airport Authority recommends that passengers perform check-in from home, check which terminal their flight departs from, and arrive at Ben Gurion Airport three hours before the scheduled departure time. Additionally, the Airport Authority advises the traveling public to use public transportation to reach Ben Gurion Airport, with an emphasis on Israel Railways," stated the IAA.

The airport is expecting approximately 100,000 travelers per day during peak days, however, as will most of the country, Israel's main travel jhub will close down early on the Jewish High Holiday of Yom Kippur.

Turkey, Greece, Cyprus the United States, and Great Britain are among the most popular destinations for Israel travelers during the holidays, according to data released by the IAA.

In addition, thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews from Israel and other countries are expected to travel to the Ukrainian city of Uman, where the revered 19th century Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, the founder of the Breslov Hasidic movement, is buried.

Ukraine has welcomes ultra-Orthodox Jewish travelers in Uman for years.

However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has threatened to close the site to Jewish visitors in response to Israeli authorities announcing they would deport Jewish Ukrainian refugees in Israel, which has resulted in recent tensions between war-torn nation of Ukraine and the Jewish state,

Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Yevgen Korniychuk confirmed that Ukraine is considering closing its doors to Jewish visitors to Uman if Israeli authorities do not reverse their policies toward Ukrainians in Israel.

“We have let our feelings on this be known,” Korniychuk affirmed. “We do hope that the Israeli government will help us secure their own people,” he added.