The director general of Israel’s Transport Ministry, Moshe Ben Zaken, said Tuesday that the crisis involving American refuelers at Ben Gurion Airport appears close to being resolved. Speaking on Kan Reshet Bet’s “Tseva HaKesef,” he said, “I believe it will happen within 24 hours.”
Ben Zaken said Transport Minister Miri Regev spoke Tuesday with the defense minister and other security officials. According to him, they understood that at least 24 additional aircraft are needed so that flights can be offered to thousands of passengers whose tickets are at risk of cancellation in July and August.
He said he expects no flight cancellations during the summer and added, “We should say that we are grateful to the Americans and appreciate the activity of the United States Army and the American Air Force side by side with the IDF.” At the same time, he said, “we are working to do everything possible to move the refuelers off the airfield.”
About a month ago, Israel Airports Authority chief executive Sharon Kadmi warned that between two and three million Israelis could receive notices this summer that their flights had been canceled because of the American activity at the airport. Kadmi said 70 percent of Ben Gurion’s operations had been restricted, with the airport using only one-third of its capacity, and warned that cancellations and delays would begin appearing in the coming days.
