74 U.S. tankers, 2.4 million passengers: Israel races to avert summer aviation chaos at Ben Gurion Airport
Government scrambles to relocate American refueling aircraft amid fears of widespread flight cancellations.
A solution to the aviation bottleneck caused by the presence of 74 American refueling aircraft at Ben Gurion Airport appears to be taking shape. In the first phase, 20 of the aircraft are expected to be relocated to various Israeli Air Force bases in the coming days. A further 17 aircraft are expected to be moved by early July, potentially allowing flight operations to continue normally during the peak summer season. However, official approval for the move has not yet been granted.
Transportation Minister Miri Regev and Israel Airports Authority Director General Sharon Kedmi have been pressing the government to secure the relocation of the U.S. refueling aircraft from Ben Gurion Airport.
Last night, Regev made an urgent appeal to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, demanding that the aircraft be removed from Ben Gurion Airport by June 16. She warned that failure to do so could trigger a wave of flight cancellations by foreign airlines unable to secure landing and takeoff slots, potentially affecting an estimated 2.4 million passengers during the summer travel season.
Later in the evening, Regev announced that Netanyahu had instructed National Security Council head Shmuel Ben-Ezra and the relevant authorities to take immediate action to prevent flight disruptions during the summer months.
The Israel Airports Authority has pledged that no commercial flights will be canceled because of the refueling aircraft. The urgency stems from the fact that the Airports Authority must update foreign airlines tomorrow regarding their takeoff and landing slot allocations for July and August. Airlines need this information at least two weeks in advance in order to adjust schedules without triggering compensation obligations under Israel's Aviation Services Law, which requires 14 days' notice for significant flight changes or cancellations.
According to the Airports Authority, the refueling aircraft currently parked at Ben Gurion Airport are preventing normal summer operations by creating significant congestion both on the ground and in the air. During the peak travel season, when more than 70,000 passengers pass through the airport on an average day, the current situation could lead to substantial operational disruptions.
