Ben Gurion Airport warns 500 flights could be canceled unless 15 more refuelers are moved out

Ben Gurion Airport officials warned that if another 15 American refueling aircraft are not cleared from the airport by Sunday, they will cancel 500 flights. The warning comes as the airport began moving dozens of the American refuelers elsewhere on Tuesday, amid the emerging agreement with Iran, but 100,000 airline tickets are still said to be at risk of cancellation in July.

Sharon Kadmi, director general of the Israel Airports Authority, told Channel 12 News, “We need 15 more parking spaces free by Sunday. Otherwise, we will announce the cancellation of 100,000 tickets in July. The direction is right, but it is not enough.” The article says the space occupied by the aircraft has created major congestion at Ben Gurion.

The Americans plan to move the planes from Ben Gurion to other airports in Israel and Europe, but they say they can return if the situation worsens and the refuelers are needed again for the U.S. and Israeli air forces. Over the past few months, dozens of American refueling planes have been parked across large areas of Ben Gurion and Ramon airports, drawing criticism from Israeli aviation officials.

Earlier, Civil Aviation Authority head Shmuel Zakai warned that Ben Gurion was effectively being run as a “military base rather than a civilian airport.” Removing some of the planes is expected to ease parking pressure somewhat, but most of the American refueling fleet is still expected to remain in Israel, so the impact on airport operations is likely to be limited.