US aircraft at Ben Gurion Airport amid Iran conflict may cancel 30 flights daily

An escalating US-Iran conflict could lead to the cancellation of 30 daily Israeli passenger flights, impacting approximately 5,000 passengers, according to a Monday N12 report. An emergency meeting at Ben-Gurion Airport, attended by Transportation Minister Miri Regev and other officials, determined that an increased presence of American refueling planes is causing significant strain. Specifically, if seven more US refueling planes arrive, bringing the total to 40 at Ben-Gurion, daily flight cancellations would begin August 1. Other Israeli airports, including Ilan Ramon Airport and various Air Force bases, are also hosting numerous US aircraft. Despite a previous Transportation Ministry announcement that the number of US refueling aircraft at Ben-Gurion would be reduced to 20 by July 21, N12 reports indicate the ministry now anticipates more arrivals, not fewer.