U.S. military planes linked to unusual delays at Israel's int'l airport: authority

JERUSALEM, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- U.S. military refueling aircraft stationed at Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport contributed to hours-long flight delays on Friday, the Israel Airports Authority (IAA) said.

Delays of several hours were reported for takeoffs and landings at the airport, with an unusual backlog of about 90 flights putting heavy pressure on airport operations, the IAA said in a statement.

The authority said one of the main factors behind the delays was the presence of U.S. military refueling planes, which has reduced the number of available aircraft parking spots, limited the airport's operational flexibility and put additional pressure on ground services.

Another factor was heavy air traffic and airspace restrictions in Europe, particularly over Greece. Flights that would normally arrive gradually throughout the day were sometimes concentrated into shorter periods, creating additional congestion, it said.

U.S. military aircraft have been stationed at the Israeli airport since late February, when the U.S.-Israeli offensive against Iran began.

In June, the United States committed to reducing the number of military aircraft parked at Ben Gurion from 72 to 20. However, 34 aircraft remained at the airport as of mid-July, according to reports. Enditem