Ben Gurion Airport Tops Global List for Severe Flight Disruptions Amid Strike

Ben Gurion Airport in Israel has been ranked as the world's most disrupted airport, according to Flightradar24, which gave it the maximum disruption score of 5.0 for both arrivals and departures. This score reflects extreme delays and cancellations, with significant impacts on flight schedules and baggage handling. Passengers reported long waits exceeding two hours for luggage, and some flights scheduled for the previous day had yet to depart. Despite some improvement at check-in counters in Terminals 1 and 3, congestion remains severe in duty-free areas and boarding gates.

The disruptions, which extended into the night, were linked to a strike by airport workers, causing thousands of passengers to face delays and uncertainty. The strike led to many flights departing without checked luggage due to a shortage of loaders. The Israeli Finance Ministry estimates the economic damage from the strike at 25 to 30 million shekels, citing lost passenger time, airline costs, reduced airport authority revenues, cargo transport disruptions, and harm to the tourism sector.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded shortly before the strike ended, stating, "Ben Gurion will remain open and operate normally. Anyone obstructing this will be dismissed." Following the strike, the Likud party announced Netanyahu's directive to expel Pinchas Idan, chairman of the Airport Authority workers' union, from the party due to the strike's impact. Meanwhile, the Transport Workers Union denied ordering a work stoppage, attributing the crisis to chronic understaffing and inadequate preparation for summer passenger volumes. The Airport Authority rejected these claims, describing the strike as an extreme and unnecessary action and asserting that intensive recruitment efforts have recently added dozens of new employees.