Israel Faces Flight Disruptions at Ben Gurion Airport Amid US Military Refueling Operations

Last week, Ben Gurion Airport experienced significant disruptions when the US military began stationing refueling aircraft there, blocking parking spaces and threatening to cancel thousands of flights. In response, Israeli Transport Minister Merav Cohen instructed the Israel Airports Authority to prohibit additional refuelers from parking at the airport. However, after intervention by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this directive was rescinded, with an agreement that only 20 refueling planes would remain at Ben Gurion until July 21, according to initial arrangements with the Americans.

The security situation in the Middle East has deteriorated following renewed US airstrikes on Iranian infrastructure and retaliatory missile and drone attacks by Iran's Revolutionary Guards targeting US bases and strategic sites across the Gulf region. These hostilities have resulted in casualties, including two US soldiers killed in Jordan, and significant damage to facilities in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. The US has issued urgent travel warnings for the entire region, including Israel, due to fears of Iranian attacks.

Given that Ben Gurion handled 90,000 passengers last Thursday and expects a similar volume this coming Thursday, the return of additional US refueling aircraft could cause severe air traffic chaos and flight cancellations. Currently, about 30 refuelers rotate through the airport, but the Israel Airports Authority warns that exceeding 20 permanently parked refuelers would exacerbate disruptions. These aircraft receive priority for takeoffs and landings, already causing delays amid increasing daily flight volumes, which rose from 360-390 flights per day in early June to 480-520 in early July.

Minister Cohen emphasized in the security cabinet that Ben Gurion cannot be the sole base for US refuelers and should not serve as an immediate, convenient solution for the US military. While Israeli airbases are reluctant to host these planes, US forces prefer Ben Gurion due to its proximity to Tel Aviv. Cohen stated that unless there is a critical national security need, refuelers should be stationed at Israeli airbases rather than the civilian airport. Nonetheless, as regional tensions escalate and US military operations intensify, this issue is expected to remain a challenge.