Surprise staff strike at Ben-Gurion Airport brings airport to standstill as check-in counters halt
Airport officials warned of labor court action as staff disruptions delayed arrivals and left some passengers on planes during the busy summer travel period.
- On Thursday, check-in counters at Ben Gurion Airport closed as employees launched a labor disruption, significantly interrupting operations and passenger services during peak summer travel season.
- Pinchas Idan, chairman of the Israel Airports Authority workers' committee, declared a "crisis" over operational difficulties, citing excessive 13-hour shifts in extreme heat and persistent manpower shortages.
- Approximately 100,000 travelers faced delays as more than 20 American refuelers occupied parking stands, lengthening transport times for luggage and passenger shuttling at Terminals 3 and 1.
- Air traffic was reduced starting at 2 p.m. Thursday following workers' committee instructions, while Transport Minister Miri Regev remained on a private trip to Morocco with ministry officials.
- The Israel Airports Authority threatened to seek labor court intervention unless operations return to normal, though the Histadrut labor federation clarified that no official strike directive had been issued.
23 Articles
23 Articles
In the final stretch for the October elections, the Israeli prime minister expelled Pinchas Idan from the Likud party, whom he held responsible for the chaos that prevailed earlier at Tel Aviv airport.
Wildcat labor strike brings Ben Gurion Airport to Halt on Busiest Travel Day of the Year
Thousands of passengers wait at Ben Gurion International Airport during a strike, August 20, 2026. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90) By ToI Staff and Noam Lehmann 20 August 2026 Ben Gurion Airport was thrown into chaos on Thursday after a wildcat labor strike shut down both check-ins and arrivals for more than an hour on what had...
Ben-Gurion Airport resumes operations after work stoppage disrupts summer travel
Transportation Minister Miri Regev said she had instructed the IAA to seek a labor court order against the workers’ committee, describing the disruption as an “illegal strike.” By Pesach Benson, TPS Tel Aviv’s Ben-Gurion Airport began restoring normal operations Thursday afternoon after a work stoppage by airport employees brought check-in services to a halt and disrupted flights during one of the busiest travel days of the summer. The disruptio…
Netanyahu Warns After Ben Gurion Airport Major Disruptions
TEL AVIV (VINnews) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday warned that Ben Gurion Airport would continue operating after a labor dispute caused major disruptions and left thousands of travelers facing lengthy delays. “Ben Gurion Airport will remain open and continue operating as usual,” Netanyahu said, adding a warning to anyone who interferes with airport […]
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