Chaos Continues at Ben Gurion Airport Despite Strike End Announcement

Despite the announcement that the strike at Ben Gurion Airport had ended, significant disruptions persisted on Friday, August 20, 2026, amid the peak tourism season. The Israel Airports Authority (IAA) declared that workers had returned to full duty following a meeting between IAA Chairman Yiftach Ron Tal, CEO Sharon Kadmi, and union leader Pinchas Idan. However, thousands of passengers still faced major issues, with luggage left unclaimed or not loaded onto flights arriving in Israel or not delivered to passengers who had landed.

Many Israelis who traveled abroad in recent days found themselves without their personal belongings, including clothing and essential items, casting doubt on whether their luggage would arrive during their vacations. The baggage delivery delays continued into Friday morning, with some passengers reporting waits of up to three hours. Additionally, numerous El Al flights experienced delays of one to two hours due to the previous day’s operational disruptions caused by the strike.

One notable incident involved El Al flight LY008 from New York, which was canceled after passengers had boarded because the airline decided the flight would land after the start of Shabbat. Passengers were accommodated in hotels at El Al’s expense. Two other flights from New York were scheduled to arrive only after 4 p.m., forcing observant Jewish passengers to choose between waiting for their luggage, attempting to get home before Shabbat, or staying overnight at the airport.