Senior Officials Warned of Staffing Crisis at Ben Gurion Airport Days Before Shutdown

A protocol from a senior management meeting in the operations division of Ben Gurion Airport, held four days before the airport's shutdown, revealed that the severe shortage of staff for summer operations was known to top officials at the Israel Airports Authority. The meeting addressed recruitment gaps, employee burnout, and a rise in safety incidents. The fire chief and first aid head warned they could not adequately respond to emergencies under current conditions.

The airport workers' union, led by Pinchas Idan, recently published a report highlighting a shortage of 400 to 500 employees across all divisions. The authority dismissed the report as inconsistent and an attempt to justify the disruption to passengers. However, the meeting minutes show multiple officials raising concerns about increased safety incidents linked to understaffing and urging management to communicate these risks to all employees.

Officials noted that August and September would see record passenger volumes of approximately 2.6 million and 2.5 million respectively, intensifying operational pressures. The fire chief criticized management's handling, warning that new aviation regulations coming in November would exacerbate the situation and that the emergency response teams were understaffed and unprepared for multiple simultaneous incidents. The first aid department also reported shortages, including five paramedics and ambulance drivers, impacting emergency readiness.

A senior ground services official warned that recruitment and internal transfers were collapsing due to low managerial status and lack of respect for professional recommendations. An operations department senior cautioned that a serious safety incident was imminent, citing worn-out veteran staff, inexperienced new hires, inadequate operational tools, and last-minute flight schedule changes that strain resources.

The airport ceased operations on Thursday, canceling dozens of flights and delaying hundreds more, affecting around 100,000 passengers. The Finance Ministry estimated the economic damage at about 30 million shekels. The Israel Airports Authority blamed the workers' union for "work disruptions," while the union denied planning a strike. The authority stated that staffing issues are known and being addressed through a pre-planned recruitment program aligned with operational needs.