Israel's airport authority prepares for possible summer flight cuts as parking crisis deepens

Unless a last-minute solution is found, Israel Airports Authority is expected to send airlines a formal warning on Tuesday morning telling them to prepare for large-scale flight cancellations and reductions in the summer and the High Holidays season. The warning is tied to a severe parking shortage created by dozens of American transport and refueling aircraft stationed in Israel, with officials saying more than 2.4 million tickets could be affected.

According to Airports Authority director general Sharon Kadmi, the authority will not decide which flights are canceled. Each airline will make its own cuts based on commercial and operational considerations, deciding which routes, dates or frequencies to reduce. The planned notice is required roughly 14 days before July begins so airlines can adjust their schedules.

The authority says about 70 American aircraft are parked at Ben Gurion Airport and another 25 at Ramon Airport. It argues that without moving some of them, it will not be able to handle the full summer schedule. Kadmi and Transport Minister Miri Regev have warned that about 2.4 million tickets could be impacted in July, August and the High Holidays in September, and Kadmi has said previously that