Airport Workers' Union Chief Pinchas Idan Accused of Orchestrating Massive Ben Gurion Strike

Pinchas Idan, chairman of the Airport Authority workers' union, is accused by senior government officials of deliberately causing a major strike that paralyzed Ben Gurion Airport. The strike, which occurred in August 2026, is said to have been motivated by Idan's personal interests, including his push to convert temporary summer workers into permanent employees to influence future union leadership elections in favor of his son, Naor.

Government sources revealed that Idan was supposed to meet with the Airport Authority CEO on the morning of the strike to discuss staffing needs but disappeared and did not attend. The day before the strike, Idan reportedly attempted to disrupt Transportation Minister Miri Regev's flight to Morocco by instructing workers not to load luggage onto the plane, aiming to highlight staff shortages. The disruption was prevented when Arkia Airlines CEO Oz Berlovich and Airport Authority CEO Erez Ron-Tal intervened, ordering workers to load the luggage.

Officials criticized Idan's conduct harshly, with one remarking, "Who does he think he is? The Iranians failed to shut down the airport, so he thinks he can?" Idan denied the allegations, calling the claims about the flight disruption and his motives "complete lies" and asserting that the union only requested additional temporary workers to handle summer and holiday workloads, never seeking permanent status for them. He accused the management of trying to cover up their own failures.

The strike caused significant operational chaos at Israel's main international gateway, raising tensions between the union leadership and government officials. The controversy highlights ongoing disputes over labor conditions and union influence at Ben Gurion Airport, with potential implications for upcoming union elections and airport management policies.