Chaos at Ben Gurion Airport after outbound passengers refused boarding in mix-up
Confusion said caused by Transportation Ministry changing passenger quota on some aircraft from 100 to 200, then back to 100, day after outbound flights resume
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleSharon Wrobel is a tech reporter for The Times of Israel
Chaos erupted at Ben Gurion Airport on Monday, as passengers with outbound flight tickets lost their tempers when denied permission to fly due to shifting wartime restrictions.
Police had to be called to the check-in counters to control disgruntled passengers as they berated airline staff, a day after limited outbound flights resumed from the Tel Aviv-area airport amid the war with Iran.
According to Channel 12, the fracas was caused by the Transportation Ministry telling flag carrier El Al overnight Sunday-Monday that the maximum number of passengers allowed for some flights had been raised from 100 to 200, only to be lowered back to 100 in the morning. Because of the last-minute changes, passengers who received notices telling them that their flights were approved were not allowed to board.
Responding to the report, the ministry said it “reiterates that airlines are not permitted to carry more than 100 passengers on an outbound flight, in accordance with the guidelines of the Civil Aviation Authority and the defense establishment.”
“Airlines need to comply with these procedures to maintain the safety and security of passengers,” said the ministry, which didn’t comment on its adjustment of the flight quotas.
In a statement, El Al said, “We are operating according to the Home Front Command’s guidelines, which are constantly being updated, and apologize for the inconvenience to the company’s customers.”
כאוס בנתב"ג: באל על קיבלו אתמול אישור להעלות 200 נוסעים בחלק מהטיסות – אך היום המספר ירד חזרה ל-50 – נוסעים רבים נותרו זועמים בדלפקי הצ'אק אין לאחר שהגיעו לנתב"ג.
דיילי קרקע: "איבוד עשתונות – סגרו דלפקי צ'ק אין. יש אלימות בין המשטרה לנוסעים"@Dean_Fisher_ pic.twitter.com/VWNGoTxD3X
— החדשות – N12 (@N12News) March 9, 2026
Hundreds of thousands of passengers were stranded worldwide due to Middle East airspace closures after the US and Israel launched a bombing campaign against Iran on February 28, seeking to destroy its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Iran has responded with missile and drone strikes across the region.
Ben Gurion Airport gradually reopened on Wednesday night for inbound flights to accommodate the repatriation of tens of thousands of Israelis stranded abroad. Limited outbound flights began on Sunday.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
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