Over 2.4 Million Summer Flight Tickets Could Be Canceled Over Aircraft Parking Shortage

Israel’s summer travel season may be thrown into turmoil because Ben Gurion Airport is operating with an acute aircraft parking shortage. Foreign airlines are occupying most operational space at Ben Gurion and Ramon airports, filling about 90% of all available aircraft stands. Officials warn that this could leave too few parking spots during peak travel periods in the summer and the High Holidays, forcing mass cancellations of more than 2.4 million tickets already sold to the public.

Transport Minister Miri Regev sent an urgent letter on Thursday to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, asking him to intervene immediately and order the removal of 30 aircraft from Ben Gurion Airport. She wants them moved either to nearby foreign countries or to Israeli Air Force bases, where no commercial planes are operating now. According to the letter, Netanyahu must decide by Monday at the latest, because otherwise the Israel Airports Authority will have to formally tell Israeli airlines to cancel the affected summer and holiday flights.

The proposed cancellations would also include the planned travel operations to Uman. The Transport Ministry says the potential damage to Israeli airlines could reach billions of shekels, as they try to return to normal operations and prepare for the usual heavy summer demand.

Behind the scenes, there is also talk of a possible Iran-US deal. If such an agreement is reached, the expectation is that the planes could be removed from the airport within about three days, which would likely solve the congestion problem for the coming summer season. Until then, the key decision remains due by Monday, and it will determine whether the travel season proceeds normally or faces a major disruption.