[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Dispatch of Civilian Aircraft to Israel... Will Military Transport Planes Be Deployed?

When Deploying Civilian Aircraft Is Difficult, Military Transport Aircraft Utilized
Possibility of Cygnus Deployment as Many Overseas Koreans Remain

As armed clashes between Israel and the Hamas militant faction continue daily, military transport aircraft are expected to be deployed to evacuate overseas nationals in the region. Since not only foreign airlines but also Korean Air have suspended flights to Tel Aviv, Israel, there are no suitable means to transport overseas nationals.

On the 10th, a government official said, “We need to monitor the situation at airports in Israel, but if operating special civilian flights is not feasible, we will have no choice but to deploy transport aircraft owned by our Air Force.”

Foreign airlines are canceling flights one after another as the situation in Israel worsens. Major U.S. airlines such as American Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta Air Lines have suspended flights to Tel Aviv, Israel. European airlines including Air France, Lufthansa, Virgin Atlantic, and KLM have done the same. Korean Air also canceled the flight KE957 from Incheon to Tel Aviv, scheduled to depart at 2:35 p.m. on the 9th.

However, to repatriate Koreans in the area, flight KE958 (with 218 seats), which was on the Dubai route, was urgently dispatched to Tel Aviv. It is currently estimated that there are about 570 long-term residents and approximately 360 tourists in the Israel region, and only some tourists are expected to return via flight KE958. The remaining tourists have moved to Jordan.

The problem lies with local employees of companies operating in Israel. Long-term residents such as expatriates from Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, and Hyundai Motor Group are still stranded. It is reported that they are staying in relatively safe bomb shelters in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv while monitoring the situation.

After completing the first phase of evacuation by civilian aircraft, the government is reportedly planning to discuss whether to continue evacuating remaining tourists and residents using national carriers, but if unavoidable, military transport aircraft will be deployed.

If military transport aircraft are deployed, given the large number of overseas nationals in Israel, it is highly likely that both the C-130 and KC-330 Cygnus will be simultaneously involved in the evacuation operation. The Cygnus, a multi-purpose aerial refueling and transport aircraft of the Air Force, is called the “gas station in the sky.” Originally introduced to perform aerial refueling missions, it has nearly twice the range compared to the C-130J, making it suitable for repatriation operations. It can carry about 300 people and up to 37 tons of cargo at once. It also has the advantage of being a long-range strategic transport aircraft capable of direct flights anywhere in the world.

The Cygnus was deployed along with two C-130Js during the “Miracle Operation” in August 2021 when Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, fell to the Taliban, rescuing about 390 Afghan special contributors and their families. In April, it was also deployed to evacuate nationals to safe areas in Sudan, North Africa, where armed clashes between warlords occurred.