Tel Aviv, Aug 20 (IANS): Israeli airline workers staged a protest at the Ben Gurion International Airport here to express their dissatisfaction with the distressful work environment and low payment.

On Thursday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., hundreds of employees of Israel's major airlines El Al, Israir and Arkia halted their work and demonstrated at the airport, according to statements issued by Israeli largest worker union Histadrut.

The demonstrators claim that there has been severe employment distress in the Israeli aviation industry since the outbreak of the coronavirus crisis, Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying.

Thousands of aviation workers have been laid off or put on unpaid leave since the crisis began, and many have not yet returned to work and fear for their job security ahead of the Jewish New Year in early September, it added.

Workers of the Israel Airports Authority, which operates the airport, joined the demonstrations to show solidarity.

As a result, more than 10 takeoffs were postponed, and baggages were not unloaded from landing planes.

The airport resumed normal operations after the two-hour demonstration.