No flight cancellations expected at Ben-Gurion, Airports Authority chairman says

Jerusalem Post/Israel News"There is no intention to close the airspace of the State of Israel, even in the sensitive strategic-security situation in which we find ourselves," said Yiftach Ron-Tal. Follow us on GoogleAmerican aircraft take off from Ben Gurion airport, during the Israel/US war with Iran, March 04, 2026.(photo credit: YOSSI ALONI/FLASH90)ByJERUSALEM POST STAFFJULY 22, 2026 16:55Airports Authority (IAA) Chairman Yiftach Ron-Tal disputed claims of upcoming flight cancellations at Ben-Gurion Airport during an interview with KAN News on Wednesday."There will be no flight cancellations," said Ron-Tal. "We will do everything we can to keep the skies of the State of Israel open during a season that is so important to the Israeli public.""I will say more than that: every day that passes, we reach new highs this year," he added. "We have already reached 90,000 passengers per day, and everything is done in coordination with the security establishment."Ron-Tal's comments come after warnings from IAA CEO Sharon Kedmi on Wednesday that the volume of incoming US Air Force (USAF) refueling aircraft would prevent Ben-Gurion from operating at the capacity needed to accommodate all scheduled flights."We are doing everything to avoid canceling flights," said Kedmi. "But we cannot allow even one more refueling plane into Ben-Gurion Airport. If it does, we will start canceling flights. The public needs to prepare for cancellations and delays."Yiftah Ron-Tal at the annual Jerusalem Conference of the 'Besheva' group in Jerusalem, on February 25, 2024. (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)On Monday, an emergency meeting on the issue, led by Transportation Minister Miri Regev, was held at Ben-Gurion Airport, with the directors-general of the Transportation Ministry and the IAA in attendance, along with other professionals.Ron-Tal commented on the outcome of the meeting, saying that he agrees with the policy decisions "1,000%."'No intention' to close Israeli airspace, IAA chairman says"There is no intention to close the airspace of the State of Israel, even in the sensitive strategic-security situation in which we find ourselves," added Ron-Tal.The meeting determined that the arrival of just seven additional USAF refuelers at Ben-Gurion Airport would result in 30 canceled flights a day, disrupting travel plans for around 5,000 passengers, according to an N12 News report on Tuesday.The Transportation Ministry announced last week that only 20 USAF refuelers would remain at Ben-Gurion by July 21, with those remaining transferred to Israel Air Force bases.Esther Davis contributed to this report.Follow us on Google