The Israel Airports Authority warned on Thursday that as many as 50,000 flight tickets could be canceled in July after the United States froze the evacuation of refuelers stationed at Ben-Gurion Airport. Sharon Kedmi said the delay has immediate and serious operational consequences, and he warned that the airport is already running far below normal.
The warning matters now because the airport is being forced to manage a military presence inside an operating civilian system at the height of the summer travel season. Kedmi said the Israel Airports Authority had already lost 700 million shekels in the past several months, while Moshe Ben Zaken said additional US refueling aircraft would not be permitted to land at the airport.
That restriction is meant to protect traffic flow, but the picture on the ground is less tidy. Israeli air traffic control had reportedly been instructed not to approve any further US refuelers for landing in Israel, yet four additional US refuelers recently landed at Ben-Gurion Airport, according to N12. A new US Air Force refueling aircraft also arrived in Israel on Tuesday, and the Transport Ministry said aircraft that landed at Ben Gurion Airport in the last few minutes were there for refueling only, not parking.
The Israel Airports Authority had already said in May that Ben-Gurion Airport was operating at one-third capacity because of the presence of US refueling aircraft. Kedmi said on KAN's Reshet Bet radio station that 70% of airport activities are restricted because space and resources are being taken up by US military operations. He also said the loss could climb into the billions if the situation continues.
US Central Command said the freeze is in place, which leaves the next move unclear even as Israeli officials say they will not accept more landings. With July travel now in the balance, the practical question is not whether the airport is under strain but how long it can absorb that strain before cancellations spread further.
