Numerous reports have emerged of unusually heavy congestion at Ben Gurion Airport, with flights delayed because luggage is not being loaded onto planes even after passengers have boarded. At the same time, passengers told ynet that luggage is also not being unloaded from some arriving flights, leaving them waiting “for two and a half hours on the floor with small children.”
“Passengers are getting stuck in massive lines during unloading,” one passenger said. “It’s unclear whether there really is a breakdown because of the congestion or whether there’s a strike. It’s a disgrace.”
Israir Flight 249 to Salzburg, for example, was scheduled to take off at 6:30 a.m. But Amir, who is on the plane, said passengers were still waiting for their luggage to be loaded more than two hours later.
“Officially, people here are talking about congestion, but everyone suspects a work slowdown,” Amir said. “They even contacted Israir’s CEO, who said it was out of his hands. In a conversation with the Israel Airports Authority, they blame everyone but themselves. Everything is known in advance, including the number of flights and the congestion. That’s why what’s happening is unclear and it’s almost obvious that it’s deliberate.”
Luggage outside an Arkia plane
(Photo: Avi Naor)
“We’ve been stuck on an Arkia plane for two hours. The plane is still parked without any luggage,” another passenger said. “The Arkia flight attendant said the ground crews handling the luggage had gone on strike. We don’t know when we’ll take off, and right now we’re waiting inside the plane. It’s absolutely outrageous, in the middle of August with planes full of children.”
The Israel Airports Authority, however, said the delays were not the result of a strike but of a large backlog of 90 flights over a three-hour period, which is directly affecting the pace at which luggage is being unloaded. The authority said the congestion was being addressed.
“It is an absolute lie that does an injustice to our baggage handlers, who are working extremely hard these days in difficult heat,” the authority said. “The baggage handlers are continuously loading luggage this morning, with 90,000 passengers moving around the clock, both on departing and arriving flights. We understand the inconvenience, but it is important to understand that the baggage handlers are working and continuously loading luggage.”