ByDANYA SAPERSTEINJULY 14, 2026 13:05Up to 50,000 flight tickets may be canceled due to the US's decision to freeze the evacuation of its refuelers from Ben-Gurion Airport, N12 reported on Tuesday. The CEO of the Israel Airports Authority (IAA), Sharon Kedmi, released a letter expressing concern over the decision."This delay has immediate and serious operational consequences," he stated.The CEO of the Transportation Ministry, Moshe Ben Zaken, also stated that additional US refuelers would not receive approval to land at the airport. "Citizens cannot be harmed; the Defense Ministry must find solutions," he said. US Air Force Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft are parked at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv on February 25, 2026. (credit: CHAIM GOLDBERG/FLASH90)US refueling aircraft reduces airport to one-third capacityIn May, the IAA reported that Ben-Gurion Airport was operating at one-third of its capacity due to the presence of the US refueling aircraft. Kedmi stated on KAN's Reshet Bet radio station that 70% of activities at the airport are restricted due to the space and resources occupied by US military operations."We are only utilizing one-third of the airport's operational capacity," he said.Kedmi added that in the past several months, the IAA has suffered a loss of 700 million shekels (approximately $248 million), and that this figure could escalate to billions if the situation continues.Anna Barsky contributed to this report. Follow us on Google