Ben-Gurion Airport to charge deposit for luggage carts

From now on, travelers at Ben-Gurion Airport will have to use their credit cards to use the baggage carts. The Israel Airports Authority has introduced 3,500 new trolleys operated by credit card.

Using a cart for five hours now requires a NIS 10 deposit. When the trolley is returned to its place, the credit card is credited for the amount of the deposit.

No fee is being charged for use of the carts so far, but this cumbersome procedure is designed to preserve order by making passengers return the trolleys to the rack in a way similar to supermarket carts.

The new luggage carts are placed in a special device, as is the case at most international airports. These devices are dispersed at Terminal 3 and Terminal 1, which is scheduled to reopen in July to accommodate low-cost flights.

The Airports Authority says the use of the luggage carts will decline. This conclusion is based on studies conducted of the volume of activity at airports similar to Ben-Gurion Airport, where the volume of passengers is 15 million to 25 million annually. The studies indicate that the increased use of wheeled luggage is making luggage trolleys less necessary.

According to the Airports Authority, NIS 8.5 million is spent annually on keeping luggage carts in proper condition. After they are used, they are left around in the airport parking lots, and some of them disappear or are run over and damaged by cars. There have also been cases of cars being damaged by luggage carts left in the parking lot.