Massive delays and tens of thousands of passengers without luggage: internal investigation determines the cause of the chaos at Ben Gurion Airport
Employees leaving early, an overloaded sorting system, and a decision to halt check-in—this is how the crisis that paralyzed Ben Gurion Airport unfolded. Following the report, Workers' Committee Chairman Pinchas Idan interrupted the meeting, claiming the findings were known in advance.
The investigation committee established following the chaos at Ben Gurion Airport on August 20 has presented its preliminary findings to the Israel Airports Authority council. The investigation revealed that employees at the sorting stations left their shift earlier than planned and did not work the overtime hours agreed upon. Consequently, the Ben Gurion Airport manager ordered the luggage handling system to be stopped and check-in counters to be closed to prevent further system overload. According to the preliminary findings, this decision was correct and appropriate.
Following the report, Workers' Committee Chairman Pinchas Idan burst into the meeting where the findings were presented, claiming they were known in advance. The committee's work is ongoing; at this stage, there are no personal conclusions, and the final report will be submitted later.
The departure of the employees created a heavy load on the sorting system. Zohar Gefen, the Ben Gurion Airport manager, ordered the luggage handling system to be stopped and check-in counters to be closed. Pinchas Idan confirmed after the crisis that he had instructed employees to finish their work after nine hours rather than stay for three additional hours, but emphasized that the order to close check-in counters came from the airport manager. "The departure of 12–20 porters is absolutely not a reason to close Ben Gurion Airport," he claimed at the time.
The Authority's management presented a different version, stating that employees knew in advance they were required to work a 12-hour shift, including overtime, and left unexpectedly. The Authority explained that without those employees, it was impossible to continue accepting luggage: "When twenty porters are not present, we cannot continue check-in, the luggage gets mixed up, and there is no one to load it onto the planes."
The event led to severe disruptions, long queues, and flights taking off without luggage. Even after the strike ended, the return to routine was gradual, with delays continuing late into the night. The Ministry of Finance estimated the cost to the economy at 25 to 30 million shekels.
Since the crisis, the confrontation between the Authority's management and Idan has intensified. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed that the committee chairman be removed from the Likud party, and Israel Airports Authority council chairman Iftach Ron-Tal has sought legal counsel to examine the possibility of canceling the extension of Idan's tenure beyond retirement age.
Meanwhile, Ben Gurion Airport is preparing for upcoming peak periods. In a letter to employees, Zohar Gefen warned that during the Tishrei holidays, passenger volumes are expected to reach unprecedented levels, and called on staff to mobilize: "To meet the expected load and maintain service levels, I call on everyone to continue mobilizing for operational efforts. This is our duty at this hour."
