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The concerns deepened Tuesday after the Airports Authority reportedly issued an extraordinary directive to Israeli air traffic controllers.
By United with Israel Staff
The United States has reportedly halted plans to remove U.S. Air Force refueling aircraft from Ben Gurion Airport as fighting with Iran intensifies once again, raising concerns that thousands of airline passengers could face cancellations during the peak summer travel season.
According to Israel’s Airports Authority, the decision could once again place roughly 50,000 airline tickets scheduled for July at risk if the aircraft remain parked at Israel’s main international airport.
The concerns deepened Tuesday after the Airports Authority reportedly issued an extraordinary directive to Israeli air traffic controllers instructing them not to approve the landing of additional U.S. refueling aircraft at Ben Gurion Airport.
The move came after four additional U.S. refueling aircraft landed overnight at Ben Gurion after arriving from Gulf countries currently under Iranian attack, further increasing pressure on the airport’s already limited aircraft parking capacity.
At total of 34 U.S. refueling aircraft are currently stationed in Israel. Before the latest escalation with Iran, Washington had reportedly committed to reducing that number to 20 aircraft, but the renewed conflict has frozen those plans, fueling an apparent dispute between Israeli and U.S. officials over the continued deployment.
Last month, Washington had begun preparing to relocate some of the dozens of refueling aircraft stationed at Ben Gurion following the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war. However, with the conflict rapidly heating up again and the United States launching nightly strikes against Iran, the withdrawal has reportedly been frozen.
The presence of the U.S. tanker fleet has significantly reduced parking capacity for commercial aircraft at Ben Gurion Airport, creating logistical challenges for airlines during the busy summer travel season.
Last month, Transportation Minister Miri Regev warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that unless additional parking space was freed, airlines could ultimately be forced to cancel more than 2.4 million tickets throughout the summer and holiday period.
At the time, Regev said approximately 72 U.S. refueling aircraft occupied more than half of Ben Gurion’s available parking positions, while another 26 aircraft stationed at Ramon Airport filled nearly 90% of the airport’s parking capacity.
With U.S. military operations against Iran intensifying once again, aviation officials now fear the parking shortage could persist, further disrupting commercial flight schedules in the weeks ahead.
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