Hundreds of Israelis stranded in Dubai as Ben Gurion crisis threatens more cancellations
Passengers on a Flydubai connection to Israel have been told it is unclear whether their flight will leave today, while dozens of flights at Ben Gurion remain at risk of cancellation.
Hundreds of Israelis who were traveling to Israel via Dubai are stranded at Dubai International Airport after their connecting Flydubai flight was caught up in the continuing disruption at Ben Gurion Airport.
The passengers had not planned to stay in Dubai and were at the airport solely to connect to Israel. They were informed that it is currently unclear whether their flight will depart today and that they will receive an update in several hours on whether they will need to make arrangements to spend the night in Dubai.
The disruption comes after Ben Gurion Airport declared a “crisis event” earlier today and halted baggage operations amid severe congestion. The Israel Airports Authority said work disruptions by baggage employees had contributed to the crisis.
At the height of the disruption, 140 of the 159 scheduled departures at Ben Gurion were delayed, with huge lines forming in the terminal as baggage handling, check-in and security operations struggled to cope with the backlog.
The airport is now preparing for a gradual resumption of takeoffs and landings from 3 p.m. However, the return to operations will depend on the airport’s ability to reorganize the flight schedule, and dozens of flights remain at risk of cancellation.
The crisis has created backlogs throughout the airport, from baggage conveyors and security screening to aircraft waiting to depart or land. Authorities have been attempting to “roll out” flights rather than cancel them, but the disruption has already affected passengers beyond Israel, including those connecting through foreign airports.
More than 107,000 passengers are expected to pass through Ben Gurion Airport today, with 620 flights originally scheduled to take off and land.
The baggage crisis follows days of growing congestion at the airport. Last night, passengers arriving from Greece reported waiting around four hours for their luggage, with only about half of the bags arriving before the rest were sent for later delivery.
The Airports Authority has attributed the latest disruption partly to sanctions by baggage workers and has warned that it may seek intervention from the Labor Court if the work disruptions continue.
The Authority has also been dealing with broader pressure on the airport, including a shortage of infrastructure and manpower, particularly in baggage handling and security, as well as the presence of American refueling tankers parked at Ben Gurion and congestion at airports in Greece.
