US refueling aircraft at Ben Gurion are now at the center of a freeze that could push up to 50,000 flight tickets toward cancellation in July. The Israel Airports Authority says the delay in removing the aircraft is already constraining airport operations, while Sharon Kedmi warned on Thursday that the effect is immediate and serious.
Sharon Kedmi and 50,000 tickets
Sharon Kedmi said the authority has already lost 700 million shekels in the past several months, a figure of about $248 million, and warned that the loss could climb into the billions if the situation continues. On KAN's Reshet Bet radio station, Kedmi said, “We are only utilizing one-third of the airport's operational capacity,” after saying 70% of airport activities are restricted because space and resources are occupied by US military operations.
The warning on Thursday ties the ticket risk to a concrete operational limit. If Ben-Gurion Airport keeps running at one-third capacity, the pressure falls first on the July schedule, where the authority says up to 50,000 tickets may be canceled.
Transport Ministry and US landing limits
Moshe Ben Zaken said additional US refueling aircraft would not be permitted to land at the airport, and Israeli air traffic control had reportedly been instructed not to approve any further US refuelers for landing in Israel. Ben Zaken also said, “Citizens cannot be harmed; the Defense Ministry must find solutions,” placing the burden on the Defense Ministry to absorb the operational strain.
That instruction collided with the movement on the ground. Four additional US refuelers landed at Ben-Gurion Airport recently, and later on Tuesday reports emerged that a new US Air Force refueling aircraft had arrived in Israel.
Ben-Gurion Airport operations strain
The Transport Ministry said the refueling aircraft that landed at Ben Gurion Airport in the last few minutes landed for refueling purposes only and not for parking purposes, “precisely and in accordance with the instructions of the Transport Minister.” CENTCOM said the freeze is in place despite concerns, keeping the aircraft issue tied directly to airport operations rather than to a short-lived administrative dispute.
For passengers, the practical problem is immediate: a reduced operating footprint at Ben-Gurion Airport is already feeding into July schedules, and the authority is signaling that the risk can spread beyond that month if the freeze continues. The next pressure point is whether the current landing limits and evacuation freeze hold long enough to keep cutting into flights and ticket inventory.
