Airports Authority blames presence of US refueling tankers for major delays at Ben Gurion

The Israel Airports Authority says in a statement that significant delays are being caused at Ben Gurion Airport due to a confluence of factors, including the ongoing presence of American refueling tankers.

In a statement, the IAA says that it experienced a backlog of 90 flights in just three hours due to traffic congestion over Greece, a high amount of summer flight traffic and US refueling planes parked at the airport.

“When a large number of flights arrive in close proximity, a reduced availability of parking spaces reduces operational flexibility and increases pressure on ground systems,” the IAA says, denying reports that a shortage of workers is causing delays.

The IAA says the high volume of activity — with more than 90,000 passengers slated to pass through the airport today — causes delays, including onloading and offloading luggage and “the entire handling chain.”

The IAA website shows that 10 of the 17 flights slated to depart between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. today were significantly delayed.

The ongoing presence of US tankers at Ben Gurion Airport has been a point of contention, and Transportation Minister Miri Regev vowed last month that only 20 would be allowed at the airport at any given time, with the rest redirected to military bases around the country.

It is not immediately clear if the limit of 20 tankers has been enforced at Ben Gurion Airport amid US pressure to allow more to stay on the ground there.