Airports Authority says most temporary workers to be laid off

The Israel Airports Authority has announced massive cutbacks in response to the coronavirus’s devastating effects on air travel.

The authority says it is putting 70 percent of its temporary workforce on unpaid leave and overtime has been canceled for all employees. Temporary employees are usually defined as those who have been with a company less than a certain number of years.

To protect those with families, it was decided that unmarried employees would be put on leave first. Senior management has announced it is forfeiting 50% of its bonuses as well.

Empty departure hall at Ben Gurion Airport on March 4, 2020. (Yossi Zamir/Flash90)

Israel has confirmed 25 cases of the virus, including a 38-year-old man who was in serious condition on Sunday.

The local travel sector has taken a beating, as scores of flights in and out of the country have been canceled.

— AP