Transportation Minister Miri Regev's office claimed Wednesday that the fuel-truck shortage at Ben Gurion Airport has been resolved, but the Defense Ministry countered that the final decision rests with Prime Minister Netanyahu, according to a report
On Wednesday, Transportation Minister Miri Regev's office announced that the fuel-truck shortage at Ben Gurion Airport has been resolved, while the Defense Ministry countered that the final decision rests with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The dueling statements come a day after the Israel Airports Authority reversed an earlier ban on US refueling aircraft, following a series of conflicting directives on Tuesday.
As The Zioneer reported on Tuesday, a rapid sequence of events unfolded at Ben Gurion. At 14:06 Jerusalem, Regev initially said that remaining US refueling planes would land at air bases, and then formally barred additional aircraft from landing, citing concerns over commercial flight cancellations. Despite the directive, a US tanker landed after reporting a fuel shortage. The Ministry of Transportation clarified that the aircraft was for refueling only. Shortly after, the landing restriction was lifted following a US protest, and the Airports Authority officially reversed Regev's ban, allowing the aircraft to remain.
The Zioneer had reported on Sunday (June 14, 17:23 Jerusalem) that National Security Council Director Shmuel Ben Ezra was handling the crisis and a solution was expected. On Monday (June 15, 16:02 Jerusalem), Regev ordered the Airports Authority not to cancel summer flights, citing a pending agreement.
The Defense Ministry's statement that only Netanyahu can decide suggests unresolved political-level coordination. It remains unclear whether Netanyahu will approve the reported solution, and whether further delays could affect the summer flight schedule.
8 developments
- DevelopingFuel-truck crisis at Ben Gurion Airport resolved, no flight cancellations expected
- DevelopingMinister Regev warns airlines forced to cancel flights starting Tuesday due to fuel truck shortage
- DevelopingRegev: Ben Gurion operating normally, US refuelers not returning amid evacuation
- StrongReport: CENTCOM-Regev row reaches Netanyahu, i24NEWS says
Source and signal
- Internal intake