Ben Gurion Airport Closes Amid Chaos, Hundreds of Flights Delayed or Canceled

Ben Gurion Airport officially closed on Thursday, the busiest travel day of the year, affecting over 600 flights and more than 100,000 passengers. Airlines worldwide began offloading passengers from flights bound for Israel due to the shutdown. Arkia Airlines provided updates on the status of its flights, with several delayed and some canceled. Flights to Barcelona, Corfu, Athens, Paris, Tbilisi, Rome, Batumi, and Paphos were delayed, while flights to Prague, Eilat, and Tivat were still scheduled to depart. The flight to Tirana was awaiting further updates.

Arkia stated that its teams are working to minimize passenger disruption and resume flights as soon as airport operations normalize. Passengers were advised to monitor the airline's website, social media, and news outlets for ongoing updates. The airport's closure also halted all landings, intensifying the travel disruption on what is typically the busiest day of the year for Israeli air travel.