Ben-Gurion Airport resumes operations after work stoppage disrupts summer travel

Transportation Minister Miri Regev said she had instructed the IAA to seek a labor court order against the workers’ committee, describing the disruption as an “illegal strike.”

By Pesach Benson, TPS

Tel Aviv’s Ben-Gurion Airport began restoring normal operations Thursday afternoon after a work stoppage by airport employees brought check-in services to a halt and disrupted flights during one of the busiest travel days of the summer.

The disruption began at 2 p.m., when check-in counters were closed and incoming flights were suspended.

The Israel Airports Authority (IAA) said flights would gradually resume from 3 p.m. under a revised schedule after management and the workers’ committee reached an agreement.

The airport had been expecting about 107,000 passengers on Thursday, with roughly 610 arrivals and departures scheduled.

The disruption triggered significant delays and forced several aircraft bound for Israel to divert or return to their departure points.

A Wizz Air flight from London landed in Paphos, Cyprus, while flights operated by Air France, Swiss, Lufthansa and LOT Polish Airlines returned to their origins.

The IAA blamed the disruption on action directed by the workers’ committee, while the union rejected claims that it had called a strike.

“There is no strike, more manpower is needed,” said Pinchas Idan, chairman of the airport workers’ committee.

The Histadrut, Israel’s national labor federation, said the disruption reflected a longstanding staffing problem rather than a sudden labor action.

“The attempt to present the chaos at Ben-Gurion Airport as a result of a ‘surprise strike’ is false,” the Histadrut said, accusing the IAA and Transportation Ministry of failing to prepare for the summer travel surge.

“For many months, the Transportation Workers’ Union warned … that the existing staffing levels could not handle the expected passenger volumes,” it said.

The IAA said more than 20 U.S. military refueling aircraft were occupying parking stands near Terminals 1 and 3, further complicating ground operations and slowing baggage transfers and passenger transport to aircraft without jet bridges.

Transportation Minister Miri Regev said she had instructed the IAA to seek a labor court order against the workers’ committee, describing the disruption as an “illegal strike.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a post on X that the airport would remain open.

“Ben-Gurion Airport will remain open and operate as usual,” Netanyahu wrote. “Whoever stands in the way will be sent home.”

The IAA urged passengers to remain in contact with their airlines as delays and schedule changes were expected to continue while operations were restored.