Only One-Third of Flights Depart On Time Amid Summer Chaos at Tel Aviv Airport

Ben Gurion Airport is experiencing severe delays and cancellations during the peak summer travel season, affecting nearly 100,000 passengers and over 500 daily flights. Analysis of 3,499 flights from July 20 to 27 shows only about 31% departed on schedule, with the rest delayed by 30 minutes to over two hours, and 83 flights canceled entirely. The average delay was 40 minutes, peaking at 83 minutes around 2 p.m. Bluebird Airlines, TUS Cyprus, and Lufthansa had the longest average delays, ranging from 79 to 99 minutes.

The disruptions stem from a combination of local and regional factors. Thirty-three US military refueling aircraft occupy parking and airspace at Ben Gurion, limiting capacity. Planned runway clearances were postponed due to heightened security concerns, exacerbating congestion. Additionally, a major radar and air traffic control failure in Athens and parts of Greece caused cascading delays across Mediterranean airports including Paris, Madrid, Berlin, and Zagreb.

Passengers report long waits on planes and in terminals, with last-minute cancellations and repeated postponements. For example, Arkia passengers from Crete faced over 90 minutes on the tarmac, and Wizz Air flights to Rome were delayed nearly an hour due to rerouted air traffic. On July 28, Ben Gurion closed for several hours for scheduled runway maintenance, forcing passengers to wait until 11 p.m. Arkia compensated affected travelers with $250 vouchers.

Domestic flights were also disrupted, such as Israir’s nearly four-hour delay on a flight from Eilat to Tel Aviv. Airlines attribute delays to airspace congestion, technical issues, and ground staff shortages. Bluebird Airlines and Arkia apologized for the inconvenience and emphasized efforts to update passengers and restore normal operations promptly.