For much of the time since the Gaza war began in October 2023, the tarmac at Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport has been almost empty.
Foreign carriers stayed away due to safety concerns, leaving only a few airlines, mostly Israeli, operating from the country's main airport. Even domestic airlines stopped flying during the most recent rounds of fighting with Iran, in June 2025 and the spring of this year.
Today, the situation on the tarmac at Ben Gurion is very different. Barely any stands are empty. They are not filled with the colourful liveries of commercial airlines but with row after row of grey US Air Force refuelling tankers, which started arriving shortly before the US–Iran war broke out in February. Israeli news outlet Haaretz put the number of US aircraft stationed at the airport at about 75.
The bleak view of the airport-turned-military base, seen by thousands in Israel who take the train between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem every day, is a sobering indication of where their country now finds itself, locked into a third year of war, with the prospect of yet more fighting ahead.
One traveller, who did not want to be named, told The National: “They are turning it into a military base. At some point this is going to be as hard as any checkpoint between the West Bank and Israel.”
Sharon Kedmi, director general of the Israel Airports Authority, said about 70 per cent of operational activity at the airport was restricted due to the presence of the American planes, which threaten to cause heavy cancellations of commercial flights over the summer, a peak travel season for Israelis. Mr Kedmi said the authority had lost $248 million in revenue in the past two months.
Posting a video of a plane taxiing past rows of military aircraft at Ben Gurion, Israeli commentator Noga Tarnopolsky wrote on X: “The only international airport in Israel, now a US airbase. Switzerland, with a similar population, has three international airports. At least two additional airports were budgeted over the years, and it would be interesting to know where that money went.”
Israel has two other airports that can serve international flights, but neither has attracted major global carriers nor comes close to Ben Gurion's capacity of 25 million passengers annually. The small Haifa Airport runs a limited number of flights to popular destinations such as Greece and Cyprus. The relatively new Ramon Airport near the southern city of Eilat, with a capacity for 2.5 million passengers annually, is used almost entirely for domestic flights. At least 20 US jets are reported to be in place at Ramon.
More reports emerged this week about the difficult situation at Ben Gurion, when Israeli journalist Sharon Idan reported a senior official at the hub had told him: “What’s happening at the airport is insane. I haven’t seen anything like this in 35 years. The American military is here at least half a year ahead of schedule.
“They’ll be cancelling thousands of flights for people here in the coming weeks,” the official added. “All the routes, all the destinations. The only place left to get out a bit and clear your head is a huge base and one where you can stay for a long time. Get ready.”
Haaretz reported that a number of Israeli airlines have resorted to parking their jets in Europe, incurring high costs.
Alongside fears of the cancellation of existing flights, Israelis are watching as key international carriers continue to stay away over security concerns.
British Airways said it would suspend flights until October 25 at the earliest. US carrier Delta will not start flying to Tel Aviv until September 6 and American Airlines until January, both citing regional instability.
The absence of foreign carriers means Israelis are forced to choose domestic airlines, which have been accused of price gouging amid low levels of competition. Israel’s Competition Authority said in February it would fine the flag carrier El Al US$39 million for charging unfair prices during the Gaza war.
Today, about 30 airlines, foreign and domestic, operate at Ben Gurion, compared with more than 100 before the Gaza war.
