Airlines Enraged: Ben-Gurion Has Become a Military Base

Israel’s civil aviation chief has warned Transportation Minister Miri Regev that Ben-Gurion Airport has effectively become a military base during the war with Iran, severely limiting civilian aviation and threatening the survival of smaller Israeli airlines.

In an urgent letter sent to Regev in recent days, Civil Aviation Authority director Shmuel Zakai wrote that Israel no longer has an international airport capable of operating efficiently under current conditions.

“In the situation that has been created, Israel does not have an international airport that can function efficiently,” Zakai wrote. “Ben-Gurion Airport has become a military airfield with limited civilian activity.”

Zakai called on Israel to demand that the United States remove its aircraft from Ben-Gurion Airport and transfer them to Israeli Air Force bases, with priority given to Ramon Airport. American refueling aircraft have been stationed at Ben-Gurion during the war, adding to pressure on the country’s main civilian airport.

“Ben-Gurion Airport is the main civilian airport of the State of Israel,” Zakai wrote. “Turning it into a military base harms not only the airlines, it harms all citizens of the state.”

The warning comes as Israeli aviation continues to struggle with wartime restrictions, including the closure of airspace, limits on the number of flights, and restrictions on passenger capacity. Zakai said those measures, combined with the continuing American military presence at Ben-Gurion, are creating a serious threat to smaller Israeli carriers.

He warned of “a real danger” to the survival of Israir, Arkia and Air Haifa if the situation continues.

Zakai also urged Regev to provide government support to Israeli airlines affected by the restrictions. He said the request was not for compensation over lost income, but for reimbursement of extraordinary expenses caused by security directives during the war.

Those costs, he wrote, stem from restrictions including airspace closures, limits on the number of flights, and passenger caps. Without such support, he warned, the state would not be able to ensure the companies’ continued survival.

The Transportation Ministry said in response that Regev had demanded that the IDF chief of staff remove the American aircraft from Ben-Gurion Airport within 14 days and transfer them to Ramon Airport and military bases.

“If not, we will not be able to bring foreign airlines back,” the ministry said.