Chaos at Ben-Gurion: disruptions and delays keep growing
Ben-Gurion Airport is experiencing an exceptionally busy week: departures are 31% above the three-month average, and delays have increased by 24%. Only 9.8% of 1,847 flights departed on time or with a delay of up to 15 minutes. The average delay at Terminal 3 is 69 minutes, at Terminal 1 – 66. The worst performers are Red Wings (207 minutes), Blue Bird Airways (128), and TUS Airways (114). Causes include infrastructure overload, staff shortages, and the presence of American refueling aircraft.
Ben-Gurion Airport is experiencing an exceptionally busy week with peak loads. According to a congestion report published on Sunday, August 16, the number of departures was 31% higher than the average over the past three months, and delays increased by 24% compared to the usual figure. Over the past week, 1,847 flights departed from the airport, and only 9.8% of them left on time or with a delay of up to 15 minutes. The average delay for departures from Terminal 3 was 69 minutes, and from Terminal 1 – 66 minutes. The worst delay performance was shown by Red Wings: an average delay of 207 minutes. In second place is Blue Bird Airways (128 minutes), and in third – TUS Airways (114 minutes). The smallest delays are at Flydubai (22 minutes), Azerbaijan Airlines (28 minutes), and Emirates (29 minutes). The causes of the overload are infrastructure shortages: a deficit of parking spaces, check-in counters, security checkpoints, and staff. Also affecting slots is the presence of American refueling aircraft. Flights to Greece, Cyprus, and nearby Europe suffer from congestion in European airspace. On August 14, 90 flights accumulated within three hours. Israeli companies: El Al showed an average delay of 42 minutes for 598 flights, Israir – 59 minutes for 282, and Arkia – 100 minutes for 284. The Ministry of Transport stated that these are usual summer peaks and noted the absence of mass flight cancellations. Work is underway to expand Terminal 3, and a tender for parking management is planned.