Ben-Gurion Airport operations disrupted by civilian drone intrusion, takeoffs and landings halted

Flights at Ben-Gurion Airport were disrupted on Wednesday after a civilian drone entered its airspace, halting takeoffs and landings during peak hours, N12 News reported. Transportation Ministry Director-General Moshe Ben Zaken launched an investigation. The incident follows a July 23 report on a potential complete civilian drone ban in Israel's airspace amid fears of an Iranian attack.

Flights at Ben-Gurion Airport were disrupted on Wednesday after a civilian drone entered its airspace, leading to a halt in takeoffs and landings during peak hours, according to N12 News. Transportation Ministry Director-General Moshe Ben Zaken began an investigation following the incident. The disruption comes amid a broader context: a July 23 N12 report mentioned a potential complete civilian drone ban in all of Israel's airspace, a proposal put forward by the defense establishment and relayed to Knesset ministers at a Security Cabinet meeting. The potential ban is driven by growing fears of an Iranian attack against Israel. TSG, a company specializing in aerial command-and-control systems, condemned the potential ban, with president Pini Jungman telling N12 that such a ban 'cannot be complied with,' noting that there are millions of drones in Israel, the vast majority operated by children, making enforcement difficult.