U.S. Air Force Prepares to Withdraw Part of Its Refueling Fleet from Ben Gurion Airport

The U.S. military is preparing to remove about 20% of its refueling aircraft stationed at Ben Gurion Airport, Israeli outlet N12 reported Tuesday morning. The planes are expected to remain in Israel at least through the end of the year, but Washington is now planning to evacuate part of the deployed tanker force.

The move comes after Washington and Tehran reached an understanding memorandum intended to pave the way for a permanent end to the war. Even so, most of the American refueling fleet is expected to stay in Israel for now.

In recent months, dozens of U.S. refueling aircraft have been parked across large areas of Ben Gurion Airport and Ramon Airport, drawing criticism from Israeli aviation officials. Civil Aviation Authority chief Shmuel Zakai previously warned that Ben Gurion was effectively being run as a “military base and not as a civilian airport.”

The partial withdrawal is expected to ease airport parking congestion somewhat, but its practical impact on Ben Gurion’s operations should be limited because the majority of the American tanker force will remain in place.