Ben Gurion Airport Authority and Workers' Union Reach Agreement to Ease Chaos and Restore Operations

Following severe operational chaos at Ben Gurion Airport in late August 2026, the Israel Airports Authority (IAA) announced on August 23 that it had reached an agreement with the airport workers' union to stabilize activity and reduce passenger congestion. The management and union concluded a joint meeting agreeing to fully resume operational services in baggage handling, security, and ground operations. As part of the plan, management and headquarters staff will join frontline shifts, focusing on baggage systems and queue management to alleviate recent bottlenecks.

The IAA stated that airport operations would return to normal as quickly as possible while continuing to onboard new employees in preparation for the upcoming Jewish High Holidays. The authority urged travelers to check flight times with airlines and follow instructions when arriving at the airport. This announcement follows a week of intense mutual accusations between the union and management regarding severe staff shortages and alleged work slowdowns.

Union chairman Pinchas Idan denied intentional work stoppages, attributing the disruption to a critical shortage of about 400 workers and excessive 12-hour shifts causing physical exhaustion. He accused the IAA of dismissing 250 temporary workers and closing service counters to shift blame onto employees. Conversely, the IAA and Ministry of Transport condemned what they called unjustified sudden strikes that held passengers hostage. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Transport Minister Miri Regev criticized the union, with Netanyahu filing a petition to remove Idan from the Likud party. Additionally, IAA council chairman Yiftach Ron-Tal sought legal advice on canceling Idan’s term extension beyond retirement age.

The crisis peaked in mid-August when approximately 100,000 passengers passed through Ben Gurion daily. Reports revealed that a year earlier, the IAA had anticipated a potential strike during peak summer in a senior management tender discussion, but the severe disruptions were not prevented in practice.