By Pesach Benson • August 23, 2026
Jerusalem, 23 August, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Transportation Minister Miri Regev ordered an external inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Thursday’s widespread disruption at Ben Gurion Airport when a two-hour Work Stoppage brought operations at Israel’s main international gateway to a near standstill.
The Transportation Ministry has not disclosed who will conduct the inquiry, its mandate or when it is expected to be completed.
Unclaimed luggage at Ben-Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv on Aug. 22, 2026. Airport workers staged a wildcat strike the day before, disrupting more than 100,000 passengers and 600 flights. Photo by Orly Wasserman/TPS-IL
Separately, the Israel Airports Authority said Sunday that it had established an internal committee to examine the events surrounding what it called the “crisis” at the airport. The committee will be headed by the authority’s internal auditor, with assistance from an independent professional, and is expected to present preliminary findings by the end of this week.
The disruption caused hours of flight delays and cancellations as thousands of passengers crowded the airport. Labor representatives have denied ordering the work stoppage, instead blaming management for understaffing and failing to cope with heavy passenger traffic during the peak summer travel season.
The Histadrut, Israel’s national labor federation, said the disruption reflected a longstanding staffing problem rather than a sudden labor action.
“For many months, the Transportation Workers’ Union warned … that the existing staffing levels could not handle the expected passenger volumes,” it said.
On Sunday, the Airports Authority and the airport’s workers’ committee agreed on immediate measures intended to restore normal operations and prevent further disruptions.
Workers agreed to refrain from industrial action while the airport returns to full capacity, including in baggage handling, security and ground services. Managers will join ground-service shifts, particularly baggage handling and queue management, to address staffing shortages and clear backlogs.
The Airports Authority and workers’ committee also agreed to maintain existing plans to recruit additional workers ahead of next month’s Jewish holidays, another expected peak travel period.
The Finance Ministry estimated that the work stoppage caused NIS 25-30 million ($8.3-10 million) in economic damage.
The crisis also drew political fallout for airport labor chief Pinchas Idan, a member of the Likud Central Committee, the party’s main internal governing body. Prime Minister and party chairman Benjamin Netanyahu ordered Idan removed from the party, though Idan denied responsibility for Thursday’s work stoppage.
In a letter to the Likud internal court, Idan wrote that he would not appeal Netanyahu’s decision, saying, “Given that the prime minister has determined that it is actually me who is the evil cause of damage suffered by the party, I shall hereby refrain from appealing this determination.”
