Chaos at Ben Gurion Airport: Flights Forced to Turn Back

Minister of Transport Miri Regev was updated on the chaos developing at Ben Gurion Airport and instructed the Director General of the Ministry of Transport to act firmly following the disruptions in air traffic. The Ministry of Transport is currently examining the circumstances of the incident and claims of intentional interference with the pace of work.

The Director General of the Ministry of Transport addressed the developments:

"We are investigating the incident. We are in a peak period, but if it emerges from the investigation that there is an 'Italian strike,' we will act very firmly against those behind this matter."

At this stage, the workers' committee at Ben Gurion Airport denies the allegations of an 'Italian strike' and does not take responsibility for the disruptions.

The timing is particularly dramatic: about 600 flights are expected to pass through Ben Gurion Airport today, with more than 100,000 passengers anticipated, making it one of the busiest days of the period. However, in the last few hours, the disruptions have been felt in practice, as flights are diverted to other airports or forced to return to their point of origin. For example, an Air France flight en route to Israel was forced to turn around and return to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris.

The Ministry of Transport clarifies that if the investigation reveals that the disruptions were caused by intentional action, a sharp response is expected against those responsible. At this stage, the central question remains whether the chaos is the result of an operational malfunction during a period of extreme load, or a labor dispute that is beginning to spill over directly onto the passengers.