Prepare for Stormy Days at Ben Gurion Airport: Which Passengers Should Be Especially Worried?

The sudden halt of activity at Ben Gurion Airport today, Thursday, may have lasted a relatively short time, but it remains unclear what the return to routine will look like, and the domino effect may drag deep into the weekend. Which passengers and companies will be hit the hardest?

The major impact is expected among low-cost and charter companies. These carriers operate on leaner business models and are highly sensitive to operational disruptions. Even a two-hour delay at Ben Gurion Airport can disrupt a chain of flights, lead to the loss of takeoff "slots," and force companies to postpone or even cancel flights. This is especially true when these companies lack backup planes or alternative crews stationed in Israel.

When this happens during the peak season, the problem is compounded. In many destinations popular with charter and low-cost flights, such as Greece and Cyprus, high hotel occupancy and flight congestion make it difficult for companies to find solutions for passengers whose flights were cancelled. Dr. Uzi Freund-Feinstein, an aviation expert and senior official at Kinneret Academic College, explains:

"In the immediate time window, everyone is affected without distinction. After that, we have what is called a 'knock-down effect.' There will be a mess with planes that got stuck in the country or landed on the way because of the strike. Later on, charter companies can cancel more easily because of their operating model."

Those who relied on connecting flights are also expected to suffer, as they may miss the first leg of their journey. Destinations like the UAE and Greece serve as major hubs for many routes, including those to the Far East. During the global peak season, finding an alternative seat on a trans-Atlantic flight can take anywhere from hours to days, and the problem is doubled as passengers need to find two alternative flights instead of one.

Who will be hit the most?

"Those who are expected to be hit hardest by this strike are the Israeli consumers and passengers," says Yehuda Zafrani, an expert in tourism and international aviation at the Hot consumer club. According to him, we are talking about cumulative damage of millions of shekels. The issue is not only the delayed departures but the entire system of return flights from Europe and resort cities like Crete, Rhodes, and Larnaca. For families, this involves losses of hundreds or thousands of dollars, affecting hundreds of thousands of passengers.

Israeli companies enjoy a relative advantage in this case, as they hold backup crews, alternative planes, and broader flexibility at Ben Gurion Airport. On the other hand, their dominance at the airport means they absorb the most acute load in service centers and ground systems. As a result, they are expected to return to routine relatively quickly, provided the situation at Ben Gurion Airport does not deteriorate again.

Updated flight schedules are expected to be published in the coming hours. The assessment is that, at least among Israeli companies, there will be no flight cancellations, but mainly postponements, the impact of which is expected to gradually decrease. However, an unusual load is expected at Ben Gurion Airport tomorrow as well, and it remains to be seen whether the disruptions recorded today and last Friday will repeat themselves. Added to this are global disruptions, which directly affect activity in Israel.