Ben Gurion Airport Chaos Continues as Strike Delays Flights Through Weekend

A sudden strike by the Airport Authority workers' union at Ben Gurion Airport caused severe disruptions starting yesterday and extending into the night, leaving around 100,000 passengers stranded at Ben Gurion and other international airports. Both Israeli and foreign airlines expressed strong frustration over the ongoing chaos and poor management throughout the busy travel season. The strike, which the union denies is organized, is expected to cause further flight delays over the weekend. The Finance Ministry estimates the strike's economic damage at approximately 30 million shekels.

In response to the strike's impact on citizens and the economy, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the Likud party to expel Pinchas Idan, the union chairman and Likud member. Yiftach Ron-Tal, the Airport Authority chairman and retired general, told Channel 13 that Ben Gurion has resumed full operational capacity with reinforced staff. He condemned the union's unilateral and aggressive actions, especially on the busiest travel day of the year, emphasizing that while staffing shortages are a recurring issue, such disruptive behavior is unacceptable due to the heavy public harm it causes.