Israeli Airport Faces Growing Delays as US Refueling Planes Increase at Ben Gurion

Ben Gurion Airport concluded a week marked by significant flight delays and operational disruptions, with expectations for worsening conditions in the coming days. Currently, over 30 US military refueling aircraft are stationed at the airport, and security sources estimate that about ten more are en route to Israel, most of which are expected to park at Ben Gurion. The Israel Airports Authority previously warned that having more than 20 such aircraft on site causes major disruptions, a reality passengers experienced firsthand last week.

This week, average delays reached approximately 65 minutes at Terminal 3 and 61 minutes at Terminal 1, according to the airport's congestion index. On Thursday alone, over 90,000 passengers passed through Ben Gurion, facing heavy congestion and baggage claim waits exceeding two hours for some travelers. The Airports Authority issued a statement highlighting that the presence of these partner refueling planes creates an unusual operational burden, triggering a domino effect that slows flight schedules, especially during the peak summer season when the airport operates at unprecedented capacity.

In addition to the refueling aircraft issue, two exceptional events further disrupted flights. On Sunday, radar communication was lost over Greek airspace, causing heavy traffic congestion and flight rerouting affecting flights not only to Greece but also to Budapest, Paris, Montenegro, and Israel. The following day, a malfunction in the European air traffic control system Eurocontrol in Brussels caused additional widespread delays for flights arriving and departing Ben Gurion.

Despite the radar incident in Greece, the most severe delays were recorded on flights to Berlin, averaging 105 minutes. Flights to Heraklion and Corfu in Greece followed, with average delays of 97 minutes. These challenges come just before August, traditionally the busiest month for Israeli aviation, signaling a difficult period ahead for Ben Gurion Airport operations.