Israeli Transport Workers Deny Abandoning Posts Amid Ben Gurion Airport Disruptions

As disruptions at Ben Gurion Airport continue, the Transport Workers Union within the Histadrut insists that all employees remain at their posts and denies claims of work abandonment. The union attributes the severe congestion and operational difficulties to a prolonged shortage of staff rather than any labor strike or intentional work stoppage. This statement follows a day marked by halted check-in procedures for some flights and baggage handling delays, which led airlines such as Arkia to report flight delays.

The union criticized the airport authority and the Ministry of Transport for prematurely blaming workers, emphasizing that employees are actively trying to manage the exceptional passenger volume, which exceeded 100,000 on the day in question. They also highlighted that warnings about staffing inadequacies were issued months before the summer peak season, urging authorities to address the root causes instead of assigning blame.

In response to the disruptions, the Israel Airports Authority announced a gradual resumption of flight departures and arrivals starting at 3 p.m., following a revised flight schedule. The ongoing dispute centers on whether the disruptions stem from employee work stoppages, as claimed by airport management, or from operational challenges due to insufficient manpower, as maintained by the workers' union. The union called for renewed focus on improving airport preparedness for peak travel periods to prevent future chaos.