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.
