Tel Aviv, Israel – Israel is facing a severe aviation crisis as the peak summer travel season approaches, due to the presence of dozens of American refueling aircraft at its main airports.
Transportation Minister Miri Regev announced on Sunday that the heavy presence of these aircraft, deployed to support military operations since the outbreak of the war with Iran, has caused a de facto “operational shutdown” of Ben Gurion and Ramon airports. She added that this threatens the cancellation of up to 2.4 million flight tickets.
Unprecedented overcrowding at Israeli airports
In an urgent letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Regev explained that Ben Gurion International Airport is experiencing unprecedented congestion, with some 72 American refueling tankers occupying more than half of the available aircraft parking spaces.
At Ramon Airport in southern Israel, parking occupancy due to these aircraft has reached approximately 90%, leaving very little room for civilian air traffic.
The minister warned that the continuation of this situation would lead to “direct economic damage amounting to billions of shekels” affecting airlines, the tourism sector, and the Israeli economy as a whole. She also noted the negative impact on “national morale and civilian resilience.” Regev gave a deadline of Tuesday for a solution to be found. However, she emphasized that if some of these planes were not removed, the authorities would be forced to inform passengers of the mass cancellation of their summer trips.
Proposed solutions: Distributing the military burden
Regev’s proposed solution involves relocating at least 30 refueling aircraft outside of Israel or redeploying them to military bases. She pointed out the striking paradox that none of these aircraft are currently stationed at Israeli air bases, despite their readiness to accommodate them.
An Israeli official commented on the crisis in remarks to CNN, saying, “We appreciate the Americans’ presence and want them to stay, but we simply need to distribute the burden across the country.”
This escalation comes at a time when Israeli and foreign airlines are scrambling to secure takeoff and landing slots to meet the increased demand during the holiday season. The official noted that airline executives have warned that Ben Gurion Airport is becoming more like a “military base,” hindering civilian activity. Planes are also forced to remain on the tarmac for extended periods waiting for parking space.
