US refueling planes threaten Israels summer time flight schedule

Ben Gurion Airport has been stuffed with US Air Pressure refueling planes in current months, taking on many plane parking heaps on the tarmac and stopping many passenger plane from touchdown and taking off, simply as the height summer time season is ready to begin.

In a letter despatched right now by Minister of Transport Miri Regev to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, she warns that if the US planes are usually not moved out, greater than 2 million airline tickets value billions of shekels can be canceled inside the subsequent two days.

“On Tuesday, June 16, 2026, the Israel Civil Aviation Authority will formally notify Israeli airways that they have to inform their clients of the cancellation of greater than 2.4 million airline tickets for the summer time and holidays season, tickets which have lengthy been offered,” Regev writes. “This can be a direct financial lack of billions of shekels to the airways, the tourism trade and the economic system. Moreover, it will severely injury Israel’s credibility as an aviation vacation spot and should pressure airways that solely lately resumed flying to Israel following the ceasefire to postpone flights.”

The answer proposed by Regev

As a result of summer time and holidays season, throughout which, amongst different issues, many individuals additionally fly to Uman, the Minister of Transport warns that mass cancellation of flights throughout this era “will injury nationwide morale and the resilience of society in a means that’s tough to quantify,” and notes that if half of the refueling planes are usually not vacated inside two days, the cancellations previous to Rosh Hashana will embrace flights to Uman for the brand new 12 months vacation.

Regev famous that she is conscious of the Prime Minister’s contacts with the Individuals, who’ve 72 refueling planes at Ben Gurion Airport, occupying about half of the obtainable parking areas. An extra 26 US refueling planes are parked at Ramon Airport close to Eilat, occupying about 90% of the obtainable parking areas. Based on Regev, “not a single US refueling aircraft is parked at Israel Air Pressure bases.” As a result of this and the evaluation that the US won’t quickly switch the refueling planes to neighboring nations, Regev suggests utilizing air pressure bases.

The Minister of Transport means that the Israel Air Pressure switch planes to civilian airfields, as a part of a attainable deployment by the Israel Airports Authority at websites similar to Sde Taman, Rosh Pina, Megiddo and Ein Yahav. “This different appropriately balances nationwide, safety and civilian pursuits,” the Minister of Transport concludes, whereas asking the Prime Minister to order the implementation of the transfer. “This proposal has been submitted to the IDF Chief of Workers and the Deputy Chief of Workers and the Commander of the Air Pressure, I additionally introduced it on the cupboard assembly. Sadly, regardless of the presentation of the choice, it’s not being applied. I perceive that this actuality is handy for the IDF and the Air Pressure, however we’ve got an obligation to bear in mind civil aviation.”

Printed by Globes, Israel enterprise information – en.globes.co.il – on June 14, 2026.