Ben-Gurion Airport strike averted after wage agreement reached
Some 2,500 IAA employees currently on unpaid leave were set to stop receiving unemployment benefits on July 1.
By EYTAN HALONEl Al Israel Airlines planes are seen on the tarmac at Ben Gurion International airport in Lod, near Tel Aviv, Israel March 10, 2020.(photo credit: REUTERS/RONEN ZEVULUN)
The looming threat of strike action at Ben-Gurion Airport was averted on Sunday evening after the Israel Airports Authority (IAA) workers union reached an agreement over wages with the finance and transportation ministries.Under the agreement, current wage arrangements for IAA employees will be extended by an additional two months - until September 2020 - to ensure greater job security within the ailing aviation sector.Some 2,500 IAA employees currently on unpaid leave were set to stop receiving unemployment benefits on July 1.Earlier this month, the union temporarily halted the departure and arrival of all flights at Ben-Gurion Airport in protest against the government’s failure to renew the flow of international air travel and enable the entry of foreign nationals into the country.While the ban on foreign national entry remains open-ended, other than cases deemed exceptional by the Foreign Ministry, Ben-Gurion Airport informed international airlines last week that the prohibition had been extended from June 15 to July 1.In addition to preventing industrial action, the IAA also agreed to accelerate critical infrastructure projects and will be permitted to take loans to support its activity."With the understanding that the aviation sector is in a difficult and unique situation, we have reached a number of important agreements, including the extension of wage arrangements for IAA employees, in order to create certainty among workers during the crisis," said Finance Minister Israel Katz.As international airlines gradually announce their return to Ben-Gurion Airport, Italian flag carrier Alitalia said it will return to Tel Aviv next month as it renews operations to more than a dozen domestic and international airports.The struggling airline, which is currently in the process of being nationalized by the Italian government, will operate 10 flights per week between Rome Fiumicino and Ben-Gurion Airport from July 1.All passenger flights will be operated with reduced aircraft capacity to ensure social distancing on board. Air on board is "99.7% pure, just like in a sterile medical room" due to HEPA filters and vertical circulation, the airline said.
Alitalia said it will also resume and increase flights from Rome Fiumicino to a series of other destinations often traveled by Israeli passengers in transit via Italy, including Boston, London and Paris.Last week, United Airlines announced that it would renew flights between San Francisco and Tel Aviv on July 10. The route between San Francisco International Airport and Ben-Gurion Airport will return to its regular schedule of three flights a week.Despite the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and restrictions on entry, United Airlines was one of the few airlines who continued flights to Ben-Gurion Airport, operating a daily route to Newark Liberty International Airport.According to data published by Ben-Gurion Airport, just 2,300 foreign visitors arrived in Israel during the entire month of May, reflecting the impact of strict government restrictions on Israel's aviation sector amid the coronavirus pandemic.According to the data published by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), visitors are defined as individuals entering the country with either a tourism visa or a temporary residence visa, including students.The figures represent a dramatic drop compared to previous years, with about 466,000 visitors arriving in May 2019 – including 440,000 tourists.A similarly dramatic drop was also witnessed in the departure of Israelis abroad in May, with only 8,300 trips abroad recorded, compared to 656,000 in May 2019. Among those leaving the country, 600 trips were made by Israelis living permanently abroad.
