An Air France plane en route to Israel has turned back to France, with 81 additional flights expected to follow suit, according to reports. Aviation journalist Dean Fisher says airlines had been informed that Ben Gurion Airport would close at 14:00 this afternoon if the situation did not change.
An Air France flight from Paris to Tel Aviv turned back to France on Thursday afternoon, and 81 additional flights are expected to cancel or turn back, according to reports. Aviation journalist Dean Fisher reported that airlines had been informed that Ben Gurion Airport would close at 14:00 Jerusalem time if the situation did not change, though it is not yet confirmed whether the closure took effect.
The disruption comes amid ongoing logistical and security pressures at Ben Gurion. The airport has faced severe parking congestion since the deployment of dozens of US military refueling aircraft during the summer escalation with Iran. The Israel Airports Authority had warned in June that 100,000 July tickets were at risk of cancellation due to fuel truck shortages and ground congestion. The US military began relocating roughly 20 refueling tankers from Ben Gurion to Israeli air force bases in mid-June, but the strain on civilian operations has persisted.
It remains unclear what triggered the latest wave of cancellations and the closure threat. No official statement from the Israel Airports Authority or the Defense Ministry has been reported yet.
2 developments
- DevelopingAir Europa to resume Madrid–Tel Aviv flights on June 29
- DevelopingBen Gurion Airport remains open; Wizz Air cancels all flights to Israel
- DevelopingWizz Air seeks to proceed with base opening at Ben Gurion after return to Israel
- DevelopingBen Gurion Airport expects 75,000 passengers as summer break begins, Lufthansa resumes flights
Source and signal
- Open-source intake