Ben Gurion Airport Faces Severe Delays Amid Staff Shortages
Ben Gurion Airport is once again experiencing significant congestion and flight delays, mirroring issues seen during the peak tourist season in August. The situation is particularly acute two days before Thursday, expected to be the busiest day recently, coinciding with the eve of Rosh Hashanah and the start of the High Holidays travel rush.
Airline companies are reporting severe disruptions to flight schedules due to a critical shortage of ground staff responsible for baggage handling. This operational failure extends beyond baggage services, as long queues were observed at security checkpoints overnight due to a noticeable lack of screeners.
Airport personnel indicate that temporary staffing solutions implemented after previous incidents have now ended, exacerbating the deep-seated manpower crisis at the airport. This crisis follows a surprise strike on August 20th that paralyzed the airport, leaving thousands of passengers stranded.
Despite the swift resolution of the August strike through agreements, the airport's operational chain has not fully recovered. With increasing demand for departures, many flights are now taking off without passenger luggage to prevent further cascading delays in the flight system.
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