Two-hour tarmac delays and four-hour baggage waits plague Ben Gurion Airport

Passengers at Israel’s main international airport have endured severe delays as aircraft remain grounded waiting for luggage to be loaded, with some travellers stranded for hours on the tarmac alongside young children. Flight attendants have expressed frustration about the situation, with one crew member telling frustrated passengers: “There are lots of children here, this is absolute madness.” Other travellers reported waiting two-and-a-half hours on the ground with small children after landing before retrieving their baggage.

The disruptions at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv have created a domino effect across the airport’s schedule. Some passengers have faced waits of up to four hours to collect their luggage after disembarking, compounding the frustration caused by the initial tarmac delays. Families travelling with children have been particularly affected, with the extended waiting times in crowded airport terminals adding to travel fatigue.

The Israeli Airports Authority has denied that industrial action is responsible for the chaos, instead attributing the disruptions to a large backlog of flights. “There is no strike — there is simply a major accumulation of flights,” a spokesman said. The explanation suggests that the airport’s ground handling and baggage systems have been overwhelmed by the volume of aircraft requiring simultaneous servicing, a common occurrence at busy international hubs during peak travel periods.

The incidents highlight ongoing capacity challenges at Ben Gurion, which handles the vast majority of Israel’s international air traffic. Passengers have taken to social media to share their experiences, with complaints focusing on the lack of communication and support offered during the lengthy delays. The airport authority has not announced any immediate measures to prevent similar disruptions in future.

Source: Ynet — Original article in Hebrew.