Inside the luxury terminal redefining service at Ben-Gurion Airport

Shifferman Gur holds a BA in communications and social sciences and an MBA specializing in human resources. She is married, the mother of two teenage daughters, and lives in Petah Tikva.

After her army service, she spent several months in New York, an experience she said had a lasting effect on her professional outlook.

“New York taught me to work with different people from diverse cultures,” she said. “I worked in a jewelry store on 47th Street, in the heart of a vibrant business district, where I had daily interactions with businesspeople, entrepreneurs, and customers from many different backgrounds. That was where I understood the importance of personalization, reading situations, and giving service that respects the person in front of you.”

She later spent 12 years in a range of roles, including sales, marketing, and operations, at the Dan Hotels chain. Still, she said, the airport environment kept drawing her in. That eventually led her to four years of work at Ben-Gurion Airport, and in 2019 she took over management of the Fattal Terminal.

“The desire was always to meet people at meaningful moments in their lives,” she said. “An airport brings together cultures, emotions, expectations, departures, returns, business trips, and family vacations. I always felt I could influence that experience and make it pleasant, safe, and even exciting.”

When she assumed the role in 2019, Shifferman Gur said the goal was clear from the start.

“We did not want to create another lounge,” she said. “We wanted to present the Israeli market with a premium product at an international level, a full terminal experience with refined service, maximum discretion, and uncompromising precision.”

She said the work was done in measured steps, with strong attention to detail and a focus on building a committed and professional team. Within two and a half years, she said, the Fattal Terminal had been recognized as one of the seven best private terminals in the world, alongside private terminals in New York, London, Dubai, Atlanta, St. Kitts, and Fort Worth.

For Shifferman Gur, the difference between a lounge and a terminal is straightforward. A lounge, she said, is an upgraded waiting area. A terminal is a complete service envelope.

“At the Fattal Terminal, we accompany the passenger throughout the entire process, from check-in and all required procedures to boarding the plane and the return to Israel,” she said. “It is one seamless, precise, and worry-free sequence.”

A major part of the terminal’s appeal, she said, is the sense of calm it gives passengers from the moment they arrive.

“From the moment passengers enter, we want them to feel as if they have arrived in our living room,” she said. “That is the mantra that guides us.”

She said time is one of the most valuable assets for the terminal’s clientele, which is why efficiency sits at the heart of the service model. While the VIP team handles airport arrangements in a discreet and personal way, passengers can hold a meeting, eat, have a drink, rest, or prepare for the flight.

That approach also shapes her definition of luxury.

“Luxury service is measured by the ability to simplify complex processes and save valuable time, without the passenger needing to be involved,” she said. “Everything is done behind the scenes, quietly and efficiently, so guests can focus on what matters to them.”

She describes that experience as “operational silence,” meaning that someone else is managing the complexity while the passenger experiences calm, order, and continuity.

Shifferman Gur said her hotel background remains central to the way the terminal operates.

“I came from the world of five-star hotels, working with senior delegations and businesspeople from around the world,” she said. “The meticulous preparations, the understanding that every detail matters, and the knowledge of how much an experience can shape satisfaction, all of that became part of the DNA of the Fattal Terminal.”

She said that focus goes beyond appearance and extends into service culture, staff training, and daily execution. Investment in human resources, she added, is one of the terminal’s foundations.

“Strict screening processes, in-depth training, and ongoing support create a rare combination of professionalism and a homey atmosphere,” she said. “Passengers feel that immediately.”

The broader values of the Fattal Group, she said, are reflected in every decision, especially excellence, attentiveness to the guest, and attention to detail. Even in an operational and security-heavy environment like an airport, she said, the person remains at the center.

Among her most significant professional achievements, Shifferman Gur pointed to leading the terminal through periods of major uncertainty, especially the coronavirus pandemic and the current war period.

“We had to show mental and managerial flexibility and build solutions for a changing reality,” she said. “That included everything from discreet diplomatic meetings to coronavirus testing at the terminal and responses for international business meetings over Zoom.”

She said the real achievement was identifying needs quickly, developing workable solutions, and maintaining high standards without giving up on core values.

For many passengers, Shifferman Gur said, the terminal shapes their first and last impression of Israel. That gives the work broader meaning.

“There is a great deal of responsibility in that,” she said. “We see ourselves as ambassadors of a culture of service, of professionalism, and of a country that knows how to host at the highest level.”

Success, she said, is simple to define.

“When passengers leave for their flight or return to Israel feeling that everything was smooth, calm, and efficient, without having to worry about the details, that is success,” she said. “When the experience stays with them as a standard, that is when you know you got it right.”