An Israeli civil aviation official said Monday that increased U.S. military activity at Ben Gurion Airport is placing pressure on civilian operations, complicating commercial air traffic and raising concerns among Israeli airlines during a critical travel period.
Civil Aviation Authority chief Shmuel Zakay told Transportation Minister Miri Regev and ministry Director General Moshe Ben Zaken that military activity at Israel’s main international airport is delaying the return of foreign carriers and increasing ticket prices ahead of the summer tourism season, the daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported.
In recent weeks, Israeli media published images showing dozens of US military aircraft, including refueling planes, stationed at the airport amid continued US military support for Israel.
“Turning Ben Gurion International Airport into a military base harms the return of foreign airlines and threatens the financial stability of Israeli airlines,” Zakay said.
Regional tensions since the start of the war with Iran on Feb. 28 have significantly affected civilian air traffic, with Israeli airlines relocating many aircraft abroad, some of which have not yet returned, he added.
Zakay said the Israeli military establishment does not fully understand the damage caused to civilian aviation or the impact on ticket prices and the public.
“Ben Gurion Airport has become a military base with limited civilian activity,” he said.
Zakay also warned that the situation poses “a real threat” to smaller Israeli carriers, including Israir, Arkia, and Air Haifa, because of rising operating and fuel costs and growing demand for flights.
He called for moving US aircraft from Ben Gurion Airport to military bases, saying the current situation harms not only airlines but also “all citizens of the country.”
-Growing US presence
The newspaper also quoted Israir CEO Uri Sirkis as saying during a meeting of the Knesset Economic Affairs Committee that the airline, which usually parks 17 aircraft at Ben Gurion Airport, is now permitted to keep only four there overnight.
He said the restrictions are pushing up airfare prices and limiting the number of flights Israeli airlines can operate.
The developments come amid a growing US military presence in Israel and continued regional tensions linked to the war with Iran and the possibility of renewed confrontation.
Israel’s Channel 24 reported Thursday that hundreds of Israelis received notices canceling hotel reservations in the southern resort city of Eilat to accommodate US troops.
The channel said hotels informed guests that reservations from this month through November, including the summer vacation season, had been canceled.
Israeli media have also reported recently that Israel raised its military alert level in preparation for a possible resumption of war with Iran if negotiations between Tehran and Washington fail.
Regional tensions have escalated since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, triggering retaliation from Tehran against Israel as well as US allies in the Gulf, along with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
A ceasefire took effect April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement. US President Donald Trump later extended the truce without a set deadline.
On Sunday, Iran sent Pakistan its response to a US proposal for ending the war, but Trump dismissed it as “totally unacceptable.”
*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul
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