The Israeli Airport Authority addressed the unusually heavy congestion at Ben-Gurion Airport on Friday morning, partially blaming the dozens of flights delayed on the presence of US refueling planes.
The authority also stated that traffic congestion and restrictions in European airspace, particularly Greece, had contributed to the delays at the airport.
Approximately 90,000 travelers were expected to pass through Ben-Gurion Airport that day, the authority said.
In some cases, passengers were already on board their planes while their luggage remained on the ground. At the same time, passengers who landed at Ben-Gurion Airport reported lengthy waits to receive their baggage.
Passengers on an Israir flight to Salzburg, which was scheduled to depart at 6:30 a.m., also found themselves waiting on board the aircraft.
Flight delays not due to strike, IAA confirms
The Israel Airports Authority also clarified that the delays were not the result of a strike. According to the authority, an unusually heavy concentration of about 90 flights accumulated within a period of roughly three hours, directly affecting the pace of baggage handling, both the loading of luggage onto departing flights and its unloading from arriving aircraft.
The authority said the congestion was being addressed and that efforts were underway to reduce the delays and restore normal operations as soon as possible.