The US has opted to keep its crowd of refueling planes parked at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport due to the war in Iran despite protests from the Jewish state that the move puts 50,000 flight tickets at risk during the country’s busy summer season.
The US reportedly has more than 30 refuelersstationed at the airport, which can only accommodate 20 such aircraft, with officials struggling to find space for civilian flights.
Israeli Transportation Minister Miri Regev said it was unacceptable for the planes to remain at the airport, ordering the refuelers to be gone to make room for travelers.
“Hundreds of thousands of tickets were bought by Israelis to fly and enjoy their summer vacation,” Regev said. “We promised that we will enable commercial flights and we will not cancel a single ticket because of American refueling planes.
“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,” Regev added.
The US Defense Department did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
The US had a fleet of about 75 refuelers and cargo planes that were deployed to the airport as part of the military buildup prior to the start of the war on Feb. 28.
While the US began moving out some of the planes earlier this month, the renewed fighting with Iran has left more than 30 refuelers at the airport just as Israel’s peak summer travel season begins, the Time of Israel reported.
The military aircraft’s presence has kept the Ben Gurion Airport from returning to normal commercial flight operations, with local airlines warning that the increasing operational costs would see the expenses passed on to the travelers.
The issue comes as the war with Iran reignited last week, with Washington and Tehran trading blows in recent days over the Strait of Hormuz.
The US fired its latest wave of airstrikes on Tuesday, targeting military sites across Iran aimed at degrading the Islamic republic’s ability to attack shipping vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
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