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Refuelers removed, flights threatened
The US removed 28 refueling aircraft from Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport as Tel Aviv demanded Washington relocate around 20 more to avoid disruption to civilian flights during the summer, Israeli media reported on Wednesday.
“Israeli media reported that the United States has begun reducing the number of its refueling aircraft at Ben Gurion Airport, at Israel's request”
An Anadolu Ajansı report said the public broadcaster KAN stated that “Israel still wants the US to remove about 20 more aircraft,” and it linked the airport congestion to a US military buildup prior to the US-Israel war with Iran that erupted on Feb. 28.
The Times of Israel reported that Israel Airports Authority head Sharon Kedmi warned that even with some US refueling aircraft relocated, their remaining presence still threatened flight cancellations for 100,000 passengers during the peak summer season beginning in July.
Kedmi’s urgent letter to Transportation Minister Miri Regev said that unless additional US aircraft are removed in the coming days, the Airports Authority would have to notify Israeli airlines to prepare for major cancellations starting on July 1 and into August.
The Times of Israel also said a fleet of about 75 US refuelers and cargo planes had parked for months, causing a parking shortage that would prevent Ben Gurion from handling expected August traffic of about 70,000-100,000 passengers.
Israeli officials and outlets diverge
Israeli media coverage framed the US move as a capacity fix rather than a drawdown, with Anadolu Ajansı citing KAN’s account that “The US has kept these aircraft in Israel in preparation for any emergency or the outbreak of another war with Iran.”
An Al-Jazeera Net report similarly said the reduction “does not reflect a reduction in the U.S. military presence in the region,” because the aircraft were moved to other undisclosed locations.
The Times of Israel, meanwhile, put the operational risk in concrete terms by warning that Ben Gurion would need at least 80 parking spots in July and would require a complete evacuation of all 99 parking spaces designated for passenger aircraft to meet expected August traffic.
The Times of Israel also said that at the end of the partial relocation, the total number of parking spaces available at Ben Gurion was 65 out of the 99 designated for civilian passenger aircraft.
It added that the congestion was limiting Israeli airlines including El Al, Arkia, and Israir, and could delay foreign airlines’ return and push up airfares, according to local aviation officials.
Alliance strain and economic stakes
Beyond airport logistics, Xinhua described the parked refueling aircraft as a reminder of close US-Israel military cooperation that also reflected “a growing reality: the two allies no longer appear to share the same vision for dealing with Iran.”
Xinhua quoted Tel Aviv University vice rector Eyal Zisser saying, “For Israel, the issue is not only the nuclear program,” and it said Israel also views Iran’s ballistic missiles, drone capabilities and its network of regional proxies as part of the threat.
The Times of Israel tied the immediate stakes to money and passenger flow by reporting that Haaretz estimated revenue losses at around 568.1 million shekels ($190 million) and warned losses could rise to 2 billion shekels ($548 million) if the US aircraft did not depart by the end of the year.
An Anadolu Ajansı report also said the presence had caused a parking shortage that “crippling the operations of Israeli commercial flight operations,” and it described the airport as struggling to absorb the US fleet during the summer surge.
Xinhua further said Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz and military chief Eyal Zamir stated in a joint statement on Monday that the Israel Defense Forces would continue to act against threats in southern Lebanon and maintain the security zone established there.
