Ben Gurion Airport Check-In Counters Shut Amid Ground Staff Strike During Peak Travel

A severe labor dispute erupted on Thursday at Ben Gurion Airport, leading to the closure of check-in counters as ground service workers were ordered to stop working. Four companies providing ground services halted passenger processing amid the strike, which coincides with the airport's busiest period of the year. Currently, around 100,000 passengers pass through Ben Gurion daily on approximately 600 flights. The strike is described as an Italian-style work stoppage, though specific details about the dispute or a timeline for resolution have not been disclosed.

Transport Minister Merav Michaeli is on a private vacation in Morocco during the crisis. The disruption comes just one day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the airport. Moshe Ben Zaken, Director General of the Ministry of Transport, stated that an investigation into the incident is underway and emphasized that if the strike is confirmed as an Italian strike, authorities will respond very firmly against those responsible.