Israel's Ben Gurion Airport halts operations amid labor dispute

The Israel Airports Authority announced Thursday that Ben Gurion Airport would halt operations from 2 p.m. local time (1100GMT) amid a labor dispute that closed all check-in counters, warning that judicial intervention would be sought if the stoppage continued.

Labor dispute grounds flights during peak season

Employees of four ground-services companies operating at the facility stopped work after receiving instructions from a workers' committee to halt operations at check-in counters. The stoppage has severely impacted passenger services at Israel's main international gateway, which processes approximately 100,000 travelers and 600 flights daily during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

Officials warn of dismissals and legal action

The Airports Authority said it has called on employees to immediately end the work stoppage to allow the restoration of normal services. Transportation Ministry officials warned that airport staff could face dismissal if investigations determine the disruption constitutes a deliberate slowdown, according to Israel's Ynet news portal.

Transportation Minister Miri Regev has instructed the ministry's director-general, Moshe Ben Zaken, to take immediate steps to address the situation, according to Ynet. Authorities had previously informed air carriers of the impending shutdown in advance of the Thursday afternoon closure.