‘We are on the plane waiting’: Passengers arriving at Ben Gurion Airport unable to disembark due to strike
“We landed about five minutes ago from Los Angeles and were told to stay in the plane as there was no one to attach the plane to the sleeve"
All check-in counters at Ben Gurion Airport were suddenly shut down on Thursday as employees launched a disruption action organized by the Airport Authority’s staff committee, causing interruptions to airport operations and passenger services during the peak summer travel season.
The disruption prompted an immediate response from the Airport Authority, which called on employees to stop any actions that could interfere with normal operations and urged staff to restore services.
Airport management said it takes “very seriously” any deliberate action that could harm or inconvenience travelers, particularly during the busy summer period, when passenger traffic at Israel’s main international airport is especially heavy.
The authority warned that if normal operations were not restored, it would urgently seek the intervention of the labor court.
Meanwhile, airport departments have been working to minimize the impact of the disruption, maintain operational continuity and provide assistance to passengers wherever possible.
The disruption has already affected travelers. Passengers arriving at Ben Gurion reported delays after landing, with some saying they were forced to remain aboard their aircraft because ground crews were unavailable to connect planes to passenger boarding bridges.
“We landed about five minutes ago from Los Angeles and were told to stay in the plane as there was no one to attach the plane to the sleeve,” one passenger reported. “We are on the plane waiting.”
The labor dispute comes as Transport Minister Miri Regev is on a private trip to Morocco. According to her office, Regev traveled with Transportation Ministry Director General Moshe Ben Zaken, Public Transport Authority Director Idan Mualem and an adviser. Her stay is expected to continue until Monday, August 24.
The timing of the disruption adds pressure to an airport already handling heavy seasonal traffic, raising concerns about further delays and disruption if the dispute continues.
Airport officials are continuing efforts to limit the consequences for passengers while pressing employees to return to normal operations.