Linoy Bar Gefen Slams Ben Gurion Airport Amid Flight Delays

Media personality Linoy Bar Gefen shared a viral post detailing an extremely frustrating experience with Arkia Airlines at Ben Gurion Airport (Natbag), warning others to avoid the airport. A flight to Albania, scheduled to depart at 3:00 PM two days prior, was repeatedly delayed. Passengers were initially informed of a delay to 7:00 PM, then to 11:00 PM. Bar Gefen, who was among the passengers, reported waiting at the airport for eight hours.

According to Bar Gefen, passengers who wished to cancel their flights and go home faced significant difficulties retrieving their checked luggage, as no Arkia representative was available. When asked about the representative's arrival, staff reportedly said, "Maybe at ten, we don't know." She described Terminal 1 as overcrowded, with passengers lying on the floor and waiting in long lines. Passengers received food vouchers, but faced long queues to redeem them, with Bar Gefen's voucher valid only for two hours.

Bar Gefen noted that even those wanting to leave the airport had to undergo further procedures. Passengers with carry-on luggage were directed from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3 to officially cancel their flights before being allowed to leave. Those who had already checked bags had to wait for an Arkia representative to retrieve them. Passengers received conflicting explanations for the delays, with some told it was due to airport congestion and others citing a plane malfunction.

Arkia Airlines issued a statement attributing the delay to the late departure of a previous flight and a delayed takeoff slot. The airline stated they kept passengers informed and provided food vouchers, apologizing for the inconvenience. In a subsequent post, Bar Gefen addressed online reactions, with some blaming Arkia and others questioning travel choices during holidays or with that specific airline or destination. She acknowledged that while other airlines also experienced delays, they were reportedly shorter.

Bar Gefen concluded her posts humorously, mentioning being assigned room number 911 after her delayed flight and joking about having "crashed here" after the extensive wait.