US military tanker planes depart Ben Gurion Airport after $248m losses

Dozens of US military refueling aircraft caused major operational strain at Ben Gurion Airport after occupying stands also used for civilian flights. The situation began to ease as American planes started leaving Israeli airports to relieve the crisis.

Sharon Kidmi, Director General of the Israel Airports Authority, told Reuters that Ben Gurion was operating at about a third of its capacity, with 70% of airport activity affected due to the space and resources taken up by the US military planes.

Kidmi noted that dozens of US tankers had been stationed at Ben Gurion, adding that the Airports Authority suffered losses of 700 million shekels (about $248 million) over two months. He warned of the potential for widespread flight cancellations during the summer travel season.

The relocation process is already underway, with six refueling planes having left Ben Gurion for Ramon Airbase, while those previously at Ramon have already departed Israel. According to Israel’s Channel 13, the plan called for about 20 more planes to leave by the Sunday following the report.

This move followed warnings from the Airports Authority that continued US tanker presence at Ben Gurion would increase pressure on the airport by occupying stands also needed for civilian aircraft, potentially impacting flight operations.

Concerns over travel disruptions have grown, with the Airports Authority warning that a large number of tickets could be canceled. Earlier estimates suggested up to 2.2 million tickets might be canceled between July and October due to operational pressures at the airport.

The current measures follow a series of steps to reduce the number of US planes at Ben Gurion. On July 15, Israeli Transport Minister Miri Regev announced that more than 10 planes would leave the airport, with no more than 20 US aircraft remaining and others moved to Israeli military bases.

Previously, on July 14, Israeli sources reported that the US had halted the removal of tankers from Ben Gurion, with more than 30 US refueling planes still present, causing congestion and reducing space for civilian aircraft, according to the Times of Israel.

The following day, the Israeli Transport Ministry announced that only 20 US tankers would remain at Ben Gurion by July 21, in an effort to avoid disruptions during the summer travel season, with additional planes transferred to Israeli Air Force bases.