AIRWAYS SPECIAL Handling the Threats
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4 research , we have developed outstanding real-time decisionmaking capabilities that allow us to maneuver these difficult situations ,” said Colonel Ran Turgeman , Commander of the Israel Air Force ’ s ( IAF ) Aerial Surveillance Systems . “ Without full surveillance over all the aerial space and synchronization between the systems , we wouldn ’ t have been able to control the situation . It ’ s not because of luck that no aircraft have been hit ; it ’ s because of thinking and technology .”
Thanks to this collaboration , controllers can ensure that all missiles , especially those launched by the Iron Dome defense system , steer clear of civilian aircraft when they are fired to intercept those fired by Israel ’ s enemies . The Iron Dome batteries deployed near the airport have demonstrated their ability to protect Ben Gurion Airport ’ s terminal buildings and the planes on the ground .
In addition , the CAA has limited the number of aircraft that can load passengers and fuel at any given time . Previously , the airport often had more than 10 jets parked at its gates . In the wartime atmosphere of October , November , and December , the number of jets parked at gates with fuel and passengers was maxed out at six — and , often , four . Moreover , once a plane is ready to push and depart , it taxis and takes off as promptly as possible . There is no waiting on the runway .
NOT THE FIRST TIME
As far as Israel ’ s Civil Aviation Authority is concerned , keeping the country ’ s air travel moving despite the nation being under attack is simply tradition . The CAA has kept its air space open throughout previous conflicts and Hamas missile attacks over the past decade . During the Gaza War in the summer of 2014 , for instance , a rocket landed a mile away from Ben Gurion , leading European and United Statesbased carriers to suspend flights for a number of days . The same occurred in spring 2021 , when Hamas fired a barrage of rockets toward Tel Aviv .
In the present war , Israel issued a notice stating that its airspace would remain open and operational even as foreign airlines began pulling their operations out of Tel Aviv . The notice did urge airlines to exercise caution .
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There have been critics . Many industry safety experts believe that Israel ’ s airspace should have been restricted more , especially in the early days of the war , and that air traffic should have been suspended over the conflict
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