Security officials: 10 more American tankers on the way; delays at Ben Gurion Airport to worsen
Ben Gurion Airport is concluding a week of significant delays with a forecast for worsening conditions. The arrival of ten additional American tankers is expected to further strain airport operations.
Ben Gurion Airport is closing a week marked by significant delays, with forecasts indicating worsening conditions in the coming days. Over 30 tankers are currently parked at the airport, and security officials estimate that the American military intends to bring about ten more to Israel, with most expected to be stationed at Ben Gurion.
The Israel Airports Authority has previously warned that the presence of over 20 tankers disrupts operations, a fact confirmed by recent passenger experiences. This week, average delays stood at approximately 65 minutes in Terminal 3 and 61 minutes in Terminal 1. On Thursday, over 90,000 passengers passed through the airport, leading to heavy congestion and luggage wait times exceeding two hours for some travelers.
The Israel Airports Authority issued a statement regarding the situation:
"The presence of the partner's aircraft at the airport creates an exceptional operational load and a domino effect that affects the pace of activity and flight schedules. This impact is felt more acutely during the peak summer season, when Ben Gurion Airport operates at unprecedented volumes."
Operational challenges were further compounded by two unusual events. On Sunday, a radar communication failure in Greek airspace caused regional air traffic delays, affecting flights to and from Israel. On Monday, a malfunction in the European air traffic control system, Eurocontrol, in Brussels led to further disruptions in European airspace, creating prolonged delays for flights at Ben Gurion.
Despite these external factors, the longest delays were recorded on flights to Berlin, averaging 105 minutes, followed by flights to Heraklion and Corfu, which averaged 97 minutes.
