The chaos at Ben Gurion Airport continues: Following a strike by ground crew workers, operations at the terminal ground to a halt Thursday, leading to severe delays and helplessness among passengers. Among the hundreds waiting in the terminal was Tzadok Erlich, who was on his way to a family vacation in Paphos but found himself stuck facing closed counters.
1+In an interview with Channel 14 anchor Ido Tauber, Erlich described the impossible reality on the ground: “We arrived half an hour before the flight, managed to check in, and while checking our luggage, everything just stopped. They halted the baggage transfer, and we’re just standing here waiting.”
“No Communication Between Management and Workers”
According to Erlich, the main problem is the uncertainty and lack of information from official sources. “Even the workers at the counters don’t know what’s happening. The answers we’re getting range from ‘it’ll take ten minutes’ to ‘ten hours.’ There’s a complete lack of understanding and no communication between management and the floor. Even the workers themselves look lost.”
1+During the interview, Erlich described unusual situations unfolding in the terminal due to the pressure: “I saw a group of passengers who were cutting it close time-wise, and they were told to just ditch their suitcases and board the plane with only bags and carry-ons so they wouldn’t miss the flight. We can’t afford to give up our luggage, so we’re just waiting for a solution.”
Despite the exhausting situation, Erlich tried to stay optimistic and concluded: “We’ll think positive, everything will be fine.” It’s currently unclear when regular operations will resume, and passengers in the terminal continue waiting for news about flight resumptions and baggage handling.