Ben Gurion Airport Faces Flight Delays Amid Staff Shortages

Ben Gurion Airport is experiencing renewed flight delays due to ongoing staff shortages, particularly affecting baggage handling crews and security personnel. Airlines reported the issues on Tuesday, citing a lack of manpower in baggage loading teams, which has led to numerous flight disruptions since the morning. These issues follow a night of delays at security checkpoints, also attributed to a shortage of security workers.

Airport employees told N12 that a temporary staffing boost implemented after an incident in August has ended, and the resulting manpower deficit is now keenly felt. The airport is bracing for further congestion as it approaches a peak travel day on Thursday.

In late August, airport workers staged a surprise strike that caused significant disruptions, leaving thousands of passengers facing extreme crowding and long queues. Although an agreement was reached later that day to end the strike, the chaos persisted into the night, with many flights departing without checked luggage because there was insufficient staff to load it.