The director general of Israel’s Transport Ministry, Moshe Ben Zaken, said the American refueling crisis at Ben Gurion Airport is nearing a solution and predicted it could be resolved within 24 hours. He made the remarks in an interview with Kan Reshet Bet.
Ben Zaken said Transport Minister Miri Regev spoke today with the defense minister and other security officials. According to him, they agreed that at least 24 additional aircraft are needed so tens of thousands of ticket holders can still fly in July and August, despite the threat of cancellations.
He said he does not expect flight cancellations during the summer, in contrast with the assessment of Israel Airports Authority director general Sharon Kadmi. Ben Zaken said between 2 million and 3 million Israelis are expected to receive notice this summer that their flights were canceled because of the American activity at Ben Gurion.
Kadmi has recently said 70 percent of Ben Gurion’s operations have been restricted because of the American military activity at the airport. “We are using only a third of the airport’s operating capacity,” he said, adding that the airport is at its limit and that some flights will soon be canceled, airlines will not be able to restore service as quickly as they want, and departures from abroad will also be delayed.
