Why US refueling planes are mass-landing at Ben Gurion
The US Air Force has begun using Ben Gurion Airport for training flights of refueling aircraft on weekends, when the airport is free due to Shabbat. This has caused concern among residents of Gush Dan, but the IDF explained that these are standard exercises to maintain combat readiness.
American refueling aircraft of the US Air Force have begun mass-landing at Ben Gurion Airport on weekends, taking advantage of the pause in civilian traffic due to Shabbat. This was reported by Maariv. The reason is logistical convenience: on weekdays the airport is congested with civilian flights, while on weekends, when El Al does not fly and other airlines reduce their schedules, there is an opportunity for training takeoffs and landings of dozens of military aircraft. The increased flights have raised concern among residents of Gush Dan, who, amid tensions with Iran, perceived them as a sign of preparation for a military operation. However, IDF representatives were quick to reassure the public, stating that this is a standard process of maintaining combat readiness and crew qualification, the so-called 'kashrut' of pilots. The US Air Force needs to regularly practice operations in real airfield conditions, and the pause at Ben Gurion has become an ideal venue for this. Earlier, Kursor wrote about the return of a major airline to Israel.