Israel's aviation sector is facing mounting capacity pressures as staffing shortages, labor unrest and the prolonged regional conflict prevent international air travel from returning to normal.
The fragility of the system became particularly evident Thursday when a wildcat strike brought operations at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv to a standstill for several hours on one of the busiest travel days of the year.
Employees stopped working to protest staffing shortages and heavy workloads, leading to the closure of check-in counters and the suspension of arrival procedures.
Numerous flights were delayed or canceled, leaving thousands of passengers stranded and creating long lines inside the terminals.
The workers' union denied formally declaring the strike, while airport management blamed the labor action for the disruption.
Following negotiations between union representatives and Israel Airports Authority officials, employees returned to work and flights gradually resumed.
The Airports Authority said "significant efforts" would be made to increase staffing levels to meet operational demands. It cautioned, however, that clearing the backlog caused by the hours-long stoppage would take time.
The strike prompted a strong response from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who called for employees responsible for disrupting airport operations to be dismissed.
"Anyone who obstructs the operations of the airport will be sent home," Netanyahu said, according to Israeli media.
Transportation Minister Miri Regev also threatened punitive action, saying those who led the disruption would "pay a heavy price."
The confrontation highlighted growing tensions between the government and airport employees, who say current staffing levels are inadequate to handle the workload generated by the summer travel rush.
Around 2.6 million passengers are expected to pass through Ben Gurion Airport in August. Daily traffic is projected to reach between 90,000 and 95,000 passengers on weekdays and exceed 100,000 on certain days, according to figures cited by Israeli business daily Globes.
The airport has also faced additional operational pressure from U.S. military aircraft. The Airports Authority warned in late July that U.S. Air Force tanker planes stationed at Ben Gurion could contribute to flight delays during the peak summer season.
Israel's international flight network has yet to fully recover from repeated suspensions prompted by the war Israel started jointly with the U.S. against Iran in late February.
Several major foreign airlines halted Tel Aviv services following the outbreak of the war, leaving Israeli carriers to accommodate a larger share of international demand.
American Airlines, which had planned to resume flights to Israel in January 2027, postponed its return until March. Delta Air Lines and United Airlines are expected to restore their Tel Aviv services in September.
The reduced presence of foreign carriers has limited competition and contributed to persistently high ticket prices, particularly on long-haul routes.
Despite an increase in available seats on the Tel Aviv-New York route, fares remain volatile and vary sharply depending on the airline and travel date.
Israeli travel industry data showed that economy-class round-trip fares for the September holiday period ranged from around $1,460 to more than $3,000, while business-class fares ranged from approximately $5,700 to nearly $10,000.
