If you have ever been to Israel, you know that the Tel Aviv airport security is no joke! These security agents are thorough and really know what they are looking for. As a result, it can often take quite a bit of time to get through the airport security process and arrive at your gate. For this reason, it is always suggested that you arrive at the Tel Aviv airport 3 hours before your flight.
The Fastest I Have Ever Gotten Through Tel Aviv Security!
What Is Tel Aviv Airport Security Like?
First Check
The security process at Tel Aviv airport starts like this. If you have luggage to check, you get in one of the many lines that snake through the check-in area. Before you join the others in the line, you will talk to a security official who will ask questions about your trip – why you were there, how long you stayed, where did you go, questions about your luggage, etc. Sometimes, they may ask for receipts of the hotels you stayed at as well as some other proof of various activities.
Second Check
Once you are through there, your checked bags go through a scanner. After they come out, you will go to a place where the agents can see the x-ray image of your bag and they may start going through everything in a detailed fashion, if they had seen something that they are unsure about. After this, you get to check your bag in and then head to the regular security line.
Third Check
This security line is always the one that I end up spending a lot of time at! The reason is that the security agents want everything electronic – including cables – out of your bag. As someone who always seems to have far too many electronics in my bag, this can take a while! If there are others in line with similar bags, it can take over an hour at this point! I tell you, if everyone would just adopt the USB-C port for charging, I could eliminate almost every cable in my bag!
Finally, after all that, you are free to go to your gate!
My Fastest Time Getting Through Tel Aviv Airport Security
Well, a couple of weeks ago, I was in Israel for a quick trip to run the Tiberias Marathon. I chose to fly out on a 7PM flight to Athens afterwards instead of early morning flight the next day. This flight happened to be on Friday – the start of the Jewish Sabbath. As a result, I was quite happy to find that the airport was extremely quiet! I mean, we are talking about an almost empty departures floor at all the check-in desks! (flights are much less frequent during the Sabbath period)
I arrived at the airport around 5PM with just my backpack (it was just an overnight trip) and already had my digital boarding pass so headed for the counter before security. After the few typical questions about my trip, I moved on to security. As an Aegean Gold customer, I had access to the Fast Track lane of security to the right of the security area. I went this way even though there was only one person in the regular security line!
The security agent took my stuff and escorted me over to the main scanners and I was done there in less than 3 minutes! Part of that was due to the fact that I only had a few electronic items with me – tablet, GPS watch, charging cables, and earbuds.
All in all, the total time for me to get from the door of the airport to my lounge was under 10 minutes! I have never had such a quick time through security at Tel Aviv’s airport before!
What Helped Me Get Through So Fast
There were two things I took away from this to share if you want equally fast times – fly during the evening of the Sabbath (not possible for everyone because of flight schedules) and pack most of your electronic items (like cables) in your checked bag. This will help your time through security to be much shorter. It will not be as short as my time, most likely, but still quick! 🙂
I have been in line for hours before so this was a welcome change!
What was your fastest or slowest time at Tel Aviv airport security?
Featured image by GeorgeDement [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
You’ve omitted one security check – perhaps to be called “zeroth check” and that’s the check done when you get off highway 1 and entering the airport in your car. Airport security usually asks you hig everything is OK and where are you travelling from/to in order to recognize your accent and potentially flag you.
You are right! I remember one time I was heading for an early morning flight and it had been snowing a ton in Jerusalem. My car had snow all over it and it was like 55 degrees at the airport. 🙂 The guard took one look at my car and said “where did you come from?!” 🙂
I’ve been through in 5-10 minutes on a Saturday night. It is not that difficult as long as you don’t get a lot of questions at the initial screening. For me the toughest part was the automated exit visa stamp which is not intuitive.
That part actually went pretty quick for me this time!
Aren’t you Jewish? I thought it says in the Jewish Bible that Jews are supposed to keep the Sabbath and not travel and do work?
No, I’m not Jewish but that is why El Al does not fly on the Sabbath.
This last trip 3.15.19 -4.1.19 Was quick an painless.
We landed early Friday afternoon (about 3 hours before sunset/shabbat and with three people infront of us at passport control we spent about 5 mins waiting in line, less than a minute to get our entry visa card, picked up our luggage and were waiting for a Gett 5 mins later to head to the Jaffa Hotel in TA.
Check-in Early AM flight to LHR
About 15 min through line to check in, through security and scanners and sitting in the Dan lounge. About 90 seconds for interview pre-check-in to get exit visa card about 10 mins waiting to get to this point. Had three Phones in carry -on backpack (one was to evaluate Google FI for highspeed spot used 15GB for $60) one a large USB-C PD portable battery to charge Note 9 and S8+ and XPS 13 (in back-pack), a variety of charging cables, adapters, etc.
Last trip was in 2006, no fast track status – Bronze BA.