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.”
It should be noted that not all flights are experiencing significant delays, although most are departing late. No unusual congestion is apparent in Terminal 3, and the main problem appears to be the loading and unloading of luggage to and from aircraft. The Israel Airports Authority said the delays are not the result of a strike by baggage handlers but are caused by congestion.
“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.
Reut, who was flying with her family to Rhodes, said at 12:15 p.m. that she had been stuck on the plane for three hours because of what the crew described as a “baggage handlers’ strike” — despite the Israel Airports Authority saying there was no such strike. “They told us there had been a strike and that the luggage only started arriving an hour ago,” she said. “Now they’ve finished loading the luggage and are waiting to connect the stairs, then someone will push the plane back. That’s what the flight attendants told us the process was. In the meantime, the crew has been nice and let us take pictures in the cockpit. They’re frustrated too and want to take off already. There are lots of children and adults here and we can’t get out.”
“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 as 90,000 passengers pass through the airport around the clock, on both departing and arriving flights. We understand the inconvenience, but it is important to understand that the baggage handlers are working and continuously loading luggage.”
Delays also affecting luggage unloading
There are also significant delays in unloading luggage from aircraft. Ruthi Russo wrote on X at 8:02 a.m. that “my sister is at Ben Gurion Airport now and reports complete chaos for those who landed after an overnight flight. People have been waiting hours for their luggage. She’s been there for almost two hours. It’s shocking that there’s congestion in August — who could have seen that coming?” She added a photo of a person who said he had been waiting four hours for his luggage, alongside his dog.
“We arrived at Ben Gurion Airport at 4 a.m. for a BlueBird flight that was delayed by two hours at the last minute,” Yuval, who contacted ynet, said. “They then put us on the plane — we’ve been on it for three hours now, and the pilot says the expected departure is in another two hours. There are lots of children crying here. They’re not giving us food and aren’t responding to the passengers.”
Terminal 3 at Ben Gurion Airport
Another passenger, Itai, reported to ynet: “This morning we waited two and a half hours to collect our luggage. I’ve never experienced anything like this, and we fly every summer.”
The authority later issued a detailed response, saying: “The backlog was created against the backdrop of the high activity levels typical of the summer months, along with traffic congestion and restrictions in European airspace, particularly in Greece, as well as the presence and flights of U.S. refueling aircraft. As a result, flights that are supposed to arrive gradually throughout the day are sometimes concentrated into shorter time windows, creating congestion. When a large number of flights arrive close together, reduced availability of parking stands limits operational flexibility and increases pressure on ground operations.”
According to the authority, “The challenge is particularly significant today, when 90,000 passengers are expected to pass through Ben Gurion Airport on arriving and departing flights. The combination of high activity levels, the flight backlog and operational constraints affects the entire handling chain and may result in delays and waiting times, including delays in luggage reaching the baggage carousels.”
“There is no shortage of workers,” the authority added. “To cope with the congestion, the Israel Airports Authority is operating ground crews, logistics teams and baggage handlers with reinforced staffing around the clock. The teams are working around the clock and in difficult heat to address the flight backlog.”
First published: 09:21, 08.14.26