JERUSALEM, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Air traffic at Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport resumed on Thursday afternoon after being halted for several hours due to a sudden strike, according to a statement issued by the Israel Airports Authority.
The statement said operations resumed following talks between its management and the airport's workers' union, adding that the authority agreed to make a significant effort to address workers' demands for increased staffing and to meet operational needs.
However, lengthy delays to departures and arrivals continued after workers returned to their posts due to heavy congestion at the airport.
The strike began on one of Ben Gurion's busiest days of the year, with more than 100,000 passengers passing through the airport, amid the peak summer travel period, according to the airports authority and local media.
As part of the strike, all check-in counters and security screening points were closed, preventing departures from the airport. The authority subsequently decided to halt landings as well.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement amid the strike that the airport would remain open and operate normally, adding that "whoever stands in the way will be sent home."
Transport Minister Miri Regev threatened to petition the Labor Court to order the workers to end the strike, before the sides agreed to resume work.
