Ben Gurion Parking Shortage Worsens, Warning of Possible Summer and Holiday Flight Cancellations

The director general of the Israel Airports Authority, Sharon Kadmi, warned that if a solution to the parking shortage at Ben Gurion Airport is not found in the coming days, airlines may be forced to cancel some of the flights scheduled for the summer season and the Tishrei holidays. In a conversation with ynet, Kadmi said the presence of dozens of American transport aircraft at Ben Gurion and Ramon Airport is creating significant pressure on parking stands at the airports, and could lead to a situation in which "every fourth passenger receives a cancellation notice."

According to him, by June 16 a notice is expected to be sent to airlines informing them that they must prepare for the possibility of canceling some of the flights planned for the summer months and the holidays. Kadmi estimated that if no solution is found, the number of flight tickets that could be canceled may reach about 2.4 million. He explained that the root of the problem lies in the situation created since February, when American transport aircraft began occupying a large share of the parking spaces at Ben Gurion. "Today there are about 70 aircraft in movement at Ben Gurion, takeoffs, landings and refueling, and another about 25 transport aircraft parked at Ramon Airport," Kadmi said.

He added that as long as the American fleet remains at Ben Gurion and is not moved to other destinations, the options available to the Airports Authority are limited. "As long as the American fleet aircraft do not leave Ben Gurion and are transferred to other destinations, we have no choice but to prepare for a situation in which airlines will have to cancel some of the planned flights," he said. "We are obliged to inform the airlines in advance that they need to prepare for flight cancellations, unless another political decision is made and the American fleet aircraft clear the parking stands they are occupying at Ben Gurion and Ramon Airport."

According to Kadmi, at the first stage at least 30 American transport aircraft need to be removed from Ben Gurion in order to allow the commercial flights already scheduled for the summer season and the holidays to be accommodated. The director general said the effects of the shortage of parking spaces are already being felt in the airport's routine operations. "There are delays in takeoffs and landings, and passengers are forced to wait a long time on the planes because of a shortage of parking stands and jet bridges. Just yesterday, passengers on a Blue Bird flight waited a long time until they could be disembarked," he said.

Referring to the scope of activity at Ben Gurion, Kadmi said about 65,000 passengers pass through the airport each day, while at the peak of the summer the number is expected to rise to about 100,000 a day. "If it is not possible to return parking stands to use for commercial flights, we will have to inform the airlines that it will not be possible to absorb all of the planned flights," he said.

Kadmi also referred to the diplomatic contacts held in recent weeks, and said that about two weeks ago, when assessments intensified that an agreement between the United States and Iran might be signed within a short time, messages were conveyed stating that the American fleet aircraft would vacate their parking spaces in Israel shortly after the agreement was signed and be transferred to other destinations in the region. "There was also an understanding that if the campaign against Iran resumed, their immediate return to Ben Gurion would be possible," he said. "But in practice no agreement was signed, and the evacuation of the aircraft is not on the horizon."

At the end of his remarks, Kadmi clarified that responsibility for determining the scope of cancellations does not rest with the Israel Airports Authority. "Each airline will make its own decisions according to its commercial and operational considerations," he said. He also noted that in his assessment, the American fleet aircraft currently occupy about two-thirds of the available parking spaces at Ben Gurion, and that the consequences could affect both Israeli airlines and foreign carriers that have already resumed operations in Israel or planned to restart activity during the summer months.