While the US has begun to relocate some of its refueling aircraft that have been parked at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport for months, their current presence at the country’s main international air gateway is still threatening flight cancellations for 100,000 passengers during the peak summer season beginning in July, Israel Airports Authority head Sharon Kedmi has warned.

In an urgent letter sent to Transportation Minister Miri Regev this week, Kedmi cautioned that unless additional US aircraft are removed in the coming days, the Airports Authority will have to notify Israeli airlines that they need to prepare for major flight cancellations in the summer holiday season starting on July 1 and into August.

A fleet of about 75 US refuelers and cargo planes has parked at Ben Gurion Airport for long months, as part of the US military buildup in the region prior to the US-Israel war with Iran, which erupted on February 28 and led to the closure of Israel’s airspace.

The presence has caused a parking shortage, crippling the operations of Israeli commercial flight operations. At Israel’s request, about 20 US aircraft refuelers have been removed over the past few days, according to local aviation officials.

Regev had demanded that some 30 US aircraft be relocated to airports outside Israel, or moved to Israeli Air Force bases.

Currently, more than 65,000 passengers pass through Ben Gurion daily. As the summer vacation starts on July 1, commercial aircraft capacity for civilian flights will need to be increased as daily passenger traffic is expected to climb, reaching about........

© The Times of Israel