Chaos Continues at Ben Gurion Airport with Flight Delays and Baggage Issues

Ben Gurion Airport is still experiencing significant operational disruptions as of Friday morning. Passengers arriving in Israel report long waits for their luggage amid heavy congestion. Some waited hours at baggage claim only to be told by airport staff that their bags would not arrive and would be sent to their homes later, with no clear timeline provided. Meanwhile, most departing flights face delays averaging just over an hour, primarily due to baggage loading holdups. Currently, 82% of flights depart late by an average of 79 minutes, though landings remain on schedule under the revised timetable. There is particular concern for passengers scheduled to depart before the start of Shabbat, as airlines cannot guarantee flights will leave before the Sabbath begins.

The disruptions extend beyond luggage delays. Passengers have reported that strollers and wheelchairs were not waiting outside planes as usual, forcing travelers to carry infants by hand during disembarkation and baggage waits. At the baggage claim area, strollers were piled atop each other, complicating retrieval without damage. Overnight, the flight tracking site Flightradar24 ranked Ben Gurion as the most disrupted airport globally, though it has since lost that title. The operational breakdown involves multiple service points including landings, baggage unloading, transportation, and passenger assistance. The summer season’s high passenger volume exacerbates delays, as any ground service disruption quickly accumulates.

Yesterday’s severe disruptions stemmed from a labor dispute at the Israel Airports Authority, which allowed departures but halted landings for two and a half hours, effectively shutting down the airport. In response to the escalating chaos, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded the dismissal of Pinchas Idan, chairman of the Airports Authority workers’ union and a Likud party member, blaming him for the disruptions.