Overview
- Shmuel Zakay delivered the warning to Transportation Minister Miri Regev on Monday, saying civilian flights now take a back seat to U.S. operations at Israel’s main airport.
- He cited dozens of American aircraft and refueling planes at Ben Gurion that occupy parking stands and constrain runway use for commercial carriers.
- Smaller Israeli airlines face the sharpest squeeze, with Israir allowed four overnight parking spots instead of 17, which trims schedules and raises operating costs for Israir, Arkia, and Air Haifa.
- Foreign carriers have been slow to restore full service because of insurance and security risks, which keeps capacity tight and pushes ticket prices higher heading into summer.
- Cancellations at Eilat hotels to house U.S. troops run through November, reflecting a deployment that followed the Feb. 28 war with Iran and spilling the aviation crunch into tourism.