TEL AVIV (Dunya News) — Israel has requested that the United States remove additional military aircraft from Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport, according to Israeli media reports.
The reports said Israel had urged Washington to relocate American refuelling aircraft stationed at the country's main international airport. The move comes amid concerns that the presence of military aircraft could interfere with civilian aviation operations during the busy summer travel season.
According to Israeli media, the United States has already transferred 28 aerial refuelling aircraft from Ben Gurion Airport. However, Israeli authorities have now requested the removal of a further 20 military aircraft.
Israeli officials reportedly informed their US counterparts that increased civilian passenger traffic during the summer months could be affected by the continued deployment of military aircraft at the airport.
The reports added that Israel has also asked the United States to reduce the overall number of military aircraft operating from Ben Gurion Airport in order to ease pressure on airport facilities and ensure smoother movement of commercial flights.
Neither Israeli nor US officials had immediately issued a public statement regarding the reported request.