Ben Gurion Airport Faces Ongoing Disruptions Amid Threat of New Summer Strike

Ben Gurion Airport continues to experience severe operational disruptions following a sudden strike by airport workers that stranded thousands of passengers. A senior aviation official warned that under current conditions, a repeat of the strike is likely during the summer vacation period. On Friday morning, many passengers were forced to board flights without their luggage as airlines prioritized reducing delays by sending planes off empty of checked bags. Arriving passengers faced waits exceeding 90 minutes to retrieve their baggage.

El Al canceled a New York to Tel Aviv flight after passengers had already boarded, due to delays and the approaching Sabbath, postponing the departure from 22:40 to 01:00 before ultimately canceling it. The airline offered vouchers to customers choosing not to fly amid the uncertainty caused by the airport workers' strike, despite the disruptions being beyond El Al's control. Arkia also announced similar measures, allowing passengers to receive vouchers if they opt out of flights affected by delays or cancellations.

The Ministry of Finance estimates the economic damage from the strike at 25 to 30 million shekels. Aviation sources expect flight schedules to normalize only by midnight, with many daytime flights operating without checked luggage to mitigate delays. Ben Gurion Airport has been ranked as the most disrupted airport globally by Flightradar24, receiving the highest severity score of 5.0 for both landings and takeoffs.