21.08.2026 00:50
The crisis at Ben Gurion Airport, already strained by Israel's war with Iran, has escalated as workers walked off the job this time. At the airport, where US fuel refueling aircraft have also reduced parking space, operations were disrupted on one of the busiest days of the year, leaving thousands of passengers stranded in the terminal.
Ben Gurion International Airport, Israel's busiest air travel hub, was effectively brought to a standstill as workers walked off the job. During a period when a large number of US fuel tanker aircraft were straining the airport's operational capacity, the strike led to check-in counters being closed, landings temporarily suspended, and the diversion of dozens of flights becoming a topic of discussion.
107 THOUSAND PASSENGERS AND MORE THAN 600 FLIGHTS WERE EXPECTED
The strike occurred on one of the airport's busiest travel days of the year. Throughout the day, approximately 107 thousand passengers and more than 600 flights were expected to use Ben Gurion. As workers stopped work, long queues formed in the terminal, and it was reported that four ground handling companies also halted passenger processing.
It was reported that at least one aircraft heading to the airport had to turn back while in the air, and many other flights were expected to turn back similarly or be diverted to alternative airports.
US FUEL TANKER AIRCRAFT AT THE CENTER OF THE CRISIS
It is noted that the congestion at Ben Gurion was not solely due to staff shortages; US military activities at the airport also complicated civilian operations. The use of parking areas by a large number of US fuel tanker aircraft is causing capacity issues in the landing, takeoff, and parking processes of passenger planes. Previously, the Israeli press reported that the deployment of up to 40 US fuel tanker aircraft at the airport increased the operational burden.
UNION: STAFF SHORTAGE, WORKERS UNDER EXTREME PRESSURE
Airport workers, on the other hand, argue that the walkout stems from staff shortages and heavy working conditions. Employee representatives state that there is not enough personnel to handle record passenger traffic and highlight a serious labor shortage at the airport.
REGEV: ILLEGAL STRIKE
Israel's Transportation Minister Miri Regev harshly criticized the action. From Morocco, Regev argued that the strike was illegal and instructed that legal proceedings be initiated against the union. Regev stated that tens of thousands of passengers had been harmed due to the workers' walkout and that those responsible would pay the price.
In addition to Regev, it was reported that senior Transportation Ministry officials and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu had visited Ben Gurion Airport just one day before the strike, meeting with workers and passengers.
AIRPORT REOPENED GRADUALLY
The crisis began to subside after an interruption of about an hour. The Israel Airports Authority announced that check-in and air traffic were gradually resumed following an agreement reached between workers and management.
However, it was stated that delays in flights could continue for hours due to the accumulated passenger and flight congestion.