Israel's airports are under a full strike, employees of the Israel Airports Authority announced Friday morning. The strike applies to Ben-Gurion International Airport, as well as Ramon Airport in southern Israel.
A total of 17 flights were scheduled to take off on Friday, and 20 were scheduled to land. Airlines affected include United, Air Canada, Lufthansa, Wizz, Ethiopian Airlines. El Al, Air Canada, and United flights currently en route to Israel will reportedly be permitted to land, although anyone expecting to meet passengers is advised to check their flight status.
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The wildcat strike is a response to government ministries' treatment of the aviation sector. The vast majority of IAA workers have been furloughed without pay for three months. Many are nearing the end of their terms of certification, which means that they will be obliged to undergo refresher courses when they are brought back to work, and many of the workers on furlough will not be eligible for unemployment benefits after July.
An hour after the strike was called, it was unclear how long it would continue, but the wildcat action marks a very unusual step that calls attention to the distress in the sector. Senior aviation and tourism officials, whose fields were among the first to be decimated by the coronavirus crisis, have been harshly critical of the government's response.
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