TEL AVIV — Israeli Transportation Minister Miri Regev ordered that no U.S. refueling tankers beyond an agreed limit of 20 planes be allowed to land at Ben Gurion Airport, citing risks to commercial air travel during the summer season. Israeli officials state that the current presence of more than 30 U.S. refueling aircraft at the airport puts 50,000 flight tickets at risk during peak travel months.

Ben Gurion Airport, Israel’s main international airport and busiest aviation hub, has an agreed capacity for only 20 U.S. refueling aircraft. According to the Israel Airports Authority’s May report, the airport has been operating at just one-third of its normal capacity due to the occupation of space and resources by U.S. military operations. Israel Airports Authority CEO Sharon Kedmi stated that 70% of activities at the airport are restricted because of these operations and that the delay in removing excess U.S. refuelers has caused “immediate and serious operational consequences.”

Kedmi added that the Israel Airports Authority has suffered a financial loss of 700 million shekels—approximately $248 million—over the past several months. The situation worsened recently when four additional U.S. refueling aircraft landed at Ben Gurion from Gulf countries, further straining airport resources. Transportation Ministry CEO Moshe Ben Zaken confirmed that additional U.S. refuelers would not receive approval to land at the airport and emphasized that the Defense Ministry must find solutions to prevent harm to citizens.

Regev defended the decision by emphasizing the government’s commitment to protecting civilian travel. “Hundreds of thousands of tickets were bought by Israelis to fly and enjoy their summer vacation,” she said. “We promised that we will enable commercial flights and we will not cancel a single ticket because of American refueling planes.” She added, “Therefore, I have given instructions that we will not allow any US refueling tankers to land at Ben Gurion Airport beyond the agreed number of 20 planes, and the remaining planes can land at Israeli Air Force bases.”

The current tensions stem from a larger U.S. military deployment that began earlier this year. Approximately 75 U.S. refueling and cargo planes were deployed to Ben Gurion Airport as part of a military buildup prior to February 28. While that initial deployment has since been partially drawn down, more than 30 U.S. refueling aircraft remain stationed at the airport, exceeding the agreed limit by at least 10 planes.

The standoff highlights the logistical and economic strain that prolonged foreign military presence can impose on civilian infrastructure, particularly during high-demand travel periods. With summer travel underway and airlines reporting shortages of aircraft parking slots, the airport’s reduced capacity directly affects tens of thousands of Israeli travelers and causes cascading disruptions across the national air transport system.

Although alternatives exist—Regev and others have repeatedly noted that U.S. tankers can use Israeli Air Force bases—the continued use of Ben Gurion for excess refueling operations has drawn criticism from airport and airline officials. The situation reflects a broader challenge in balancing strategic military cooperation with the operational needs of civilian aviation, especially when coordination between defense and transportation authorities falters.