Another 10 U.S. tankers are headed to Israel's Ben Gurion as airport delays mount
More than 30 refueling aircraft are already parked at Israel’s main airport, with the expected arrivals raising concerns over further disruption during the peak summer travel season.
Ben Gurion Airport is closing out a week marked by widespread delays, with further disruptions expected in the coming days. More than 30 tanker aircraft are currently parked at the airport, and according to security officials, the U.S. military plans to bring approximately 10 additional tankers to Israel in the coming days, with most expected to be stationed at Ben Gurion Airport.
The presence of the aircraft has placed additional strain on airport operations. In the past, the Airports Authority warned that more than 20 tanker aircraft parked at Ben Gurion Airport were already creating operational disruptions, and passengers traveling this week experienced the impact firsthand.
According to Ben Gurion Airport's load meter, the average delay this week reached approximately 65 minutes at Terminal 3 and 61 minutes at Terminal 1. On Thursday alone, more than 90,000 passengers passed through the airport, creating heavy congestion and long waits for baggage. Some passengers reported waiting more than two hours to collect their luggage.
The disruptions prompted the Airports Authority to issue a warning that the presence of refueling aircraft was affecting flight operations.
"The presence of partner aircraft (refueling) at the airport creates an unusual operational load and a domino effect that affects the pace of activity and flight schedules," the authority said. "This effect is felt even more strongly during the peak summer season, when Ben Gurion Airport operates at an unprecedented level of activity and serves an exceptionally large number of passengers and flights every day."
The challenges come at the start of August, traditionally the busiest month for Israeli aviation, when passenger traffic reaches its annual peak.
Beyond the congestion caused by the tanker aircraft, two unusual aviation incidents this week also contributed to delays.
On Sunday, communication with radar systems in Greek airspace was disrupted, creating significant congestion and forcing airlines to adjust flight paths. The disruption affected not only flights to Greece but also routes to destinations including Budapest, Paris and Montenegro, as many flights to and from Israel pass through Greek airspace.
The following day, Monday, a malfunction in the European air traffic control system Eurocontrol in Brussels caused additional disruptions across European airspace, affecting flights departing from and arriving at Ben Gurion Airport.
Despite the radar disruption in Greece, the most severe delays recorded this week involved flights to Berlin, which experienced average delays of 105 minutes. The second and third longest average delays were recorded on flights to the Greek islands of Heraklion and Corfu, with delays of approximately 97 minutes.
