Ramon Airport Transfer (ETM)

Ramon Airport (IATA: ETM) opened in January 2019 in the Timna Valley, 18 kilometres north of Eilat, replacing both the old in-town Eilat airport (ETH) and Ovda (VDA) which had handled charters from the 1980s onward. Ramon is Israel's second international airport and serves a steady load of European winter-sun charters plus domestic traffic from Tel Aviv. The terminal is compact, modern and quick to clear; the onward drive to Eilat hotels takes 20–30 minutes along Highway 90. Petra day-trippers use the Wadi Araba (Yitzhak Rabin) border crossing, 10–15 minutes from Ramon. Taxi availability is inconsistent on Shabbat and Jewish holidays — a LocalsRide pre-booking locks the USD fare and assigns a driver who operates every day of the week.

ETM Transfer Times

Eilat North Beach hotels (Dan, Herods, Leonardo): 18 km, 20–30 min. Eilat Lagoon Promenade: 20 km, 22–32 min. Coral Reserve (Almog): 22 km, 25–35 min. Taba Border Crossing (Egypt, for Dahab and Sharm): 28 km, 30–40 min. Wadi Araba (Yitzhak Rabin) Border Crossing (Jordan, for Aqaba and Petra): 22 km, 10–15 min. Mitzpe Ramon crater town: 135 km, 1.5–2 hours.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my ticket show VDA or ETH instead of ETM for Eilat?

Both the old in-town Eilat airport (code ETH) and Ovda Air Base (code VDA, which handled charter traffic from Europe) closed for commercial operations in 2019 when Ramon (ETM) opened. Any ticket issued after that date should show ETM. If a ticket stub still displays the old codes, it is almost always due to a carrier's legacy booking system — the actual operating airport is Ramon. A LocalsRide booking made for Ramon (ETM) covers any arrival to this one airport.

Does Ramon Airport have taxis 24/7?

The official taxi rank at ETM operates around flight arrivals, which can leave a gap during late-night arrivals outside the published Shabbat-operational hours. Sabbath observance and Jewish holidays also thin the taxi supply locally. A LocalsRide booking confirmed in advance guarantees a vehicle at a fixed USD fare for any arrival time, including Friday evening arrivals when local taxi availability drops sharply.