Yafit Cohen of Givatayim landed at Ben Gurion Airport before dawn Sunday morning after an overnight flight from Poland. All she wanted was to get home—just a 20-minute drive from the airport. But when she exited the terminal in search of a taxi, she was stunned.
“There were hundreds of people in line. It felt like landing in a third-world country,” she said. “Exhausted passengers waiting more than two hours in a never-ending line, with barely any taxis in sight. It seems like transportation in this country keeps getting worse. I ended up waking my husband at 4 a.m. to come get me. Otherwise, who knows when I would have made it home. It’s a total disgrace. Maybe it’s time our transportation minister took responsibility, because this job seems too big for her.”
Cohen is far from alone. Over the past several days, massive taxi lines have greeted arriving passengers at Ben Gurion. If you’re flying to Israel soon or returning from vacation, it’s worth planning ahead.
Airport authorities say they’ve prepared for the High Holiday rush—more than 2.1 million passengers are expected to pass through Ben Gurion in the coming weeks. They’ve increased staffing at the airport and border crossings, but apparently failed to address the situation on the ground for passengers needing a taxi after landing.
The taxi service at the airport is operated by Gett, the ride-hailing company that won the official tender. Despite high hopes that its app and digital kiosks would streamline the process, the reality has been disappointing. Passengers report wait times of two hours or more.
Ophir Zalkowitz told Ynet: “We landed from Amsterdam at 3:30 p.m. I signed into the Gett app right after picking up our luggage and got a code. But outside, the line barely moved. After about 10 minutes, a dispatcher yelled that there were no taxis and suggested we take the train. I eventually reached central Tel Aviv at 5:45 p.m.—more than two hours after landing, for a 13-mile trip.”
Moshe, a traveler who arrived from the U.S., said he waited about 90 minutes for a cab. “I tried booking in advance but it didn’t work, so I had to wait in line. It just seems unreasonable.”
The core issue appears to be a shortage of available drivers, particularly during the busy early morning hours when many U.S. flights land, and on weekends, when train and bus service is limited or unavailable. Travelers and industry officials say this has been a recurring problem during peak travel periods, and yet little has been done to resolve it.
The head of Israel’s taxi union has long argued for a return to the previous system. “Drivers used to pay a small fee to enter the taxi lane—no apps, no complications. That alone would solve half the problem and ensure a steady supply of taxis,” he said.
When pressed, the various authorities involved have passed the blame from one to another.
The Israel Airports Authority said in a statement: “Ben Gurion operates an advanced Gett system for managing taxi services, providing real-time data and continuous improvements to passenger experience.” The authority pointed to outside factors such as traffic congestion and a lack of weekend train service as key contributors to the problem. “To meet demand, Gett has expanded its fleet to more than 900 drivers and continuously offers incentives. As in other major airports worldwide, occasional congestion is inevitable. Shuttle and bus services are also available to ease demand.”
Gett, in turn, blamed the Ministry of Transportation and issues with Israel Railways: “We operate one of the most advanced taxi management systems in the world. The recent congestion stems from peak landing times, traffic jams, weekend train suspensions and malfunctions, all of which have sharply increased demand. We are reinforcing service and offering ongoing driver incentives, but fare prices are outside our control and remain the biggest barrier to better service. It’s important to note that such challenges are not unique to Israel. Major airports worldwide also face similar short-term congestion.”
The Transportation Ministry declined to comment.