Ben Gurion Airport Delays: Luggage Crisis Grounds Flights

Israel's Ben Gurion Airport experienced unusual congestion Friday morning, with numerous reports indicating significant delays affecting dozens of flights unable to depart on schedule. According to travelers, the main problem was luggage that was not being loaded onto aircraft—even as passengers sat aboard waiting for takeoff.

"Passengers are entering insane queues at unloading," one traveler told Israeli news site ynet. "It's unclear whether there's actually a collapse due to congestion, or if there's a strike. It's disgraceful."

Israir flight 249 to Salzburg, scheduled to depart at 6:30 a.m., remained grounded more than two hours past its departure time. A passenger aboard the aircraft reported they were waiting for luggage to be loaded, with suitcases sitting outside for over two hours. "We can see our luggage outside, but no one is loading it," the passenger described.

A similar situation was reported on Arkia flight IZ74. "We've been stuck for two hours on an Arkia plane, still parked without luggage," another passenger said. "The Arkia flight attendant said the ground crew handling luggage started a strike. We don't know when we'll take off and are currently waiting inside the plane. It's outrageous, at the height of August with planes full of children."

Ben Gurion Airport (צילום: Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

Arriving flights also experienced problems beyond departures. Passengers who landed at Ben Gurion reported that luggage was not being unloaded from aircraft in a timely manner. "We've been waiting two and a half hours on the floor with small children," said one traveler who landed at the airport Friday morning.

The disruption comes during the peak summer tourism season, with Ben Gurion recording record passenger numbers. In July, more than 2.35 million passengers passed through the airport—a 36% increase compared to the same period last year. August is expected to see over 2.6 million passengers, with the busiest days projected to handle more than 100,000 travelers in a single day.

In the last few days, Ben Gurion has also faced various operational challenges, including the presence of American refueling aircraft occupying critical parking positions. The Israel Airports Authority has not yet issued an official statement regarding the current delays.