Virgin Atlantic will permanently suspend its flights from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) and Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) in Israel. The decision was confirmed on 28th April, however, the airline will maintain a code sharing agreement with Israel’s national airline, EL AL, which will operate these flights in the place of Virgin Atlantic.
London-Tel Aviv Flights Halted
Virgin Atlantic first suspended its flights between London and Tel Aviv in October 2023 due to the Israel-Hamas conflict, intending to resume flights in October 2025. However, after a recent evaluation of the route, Virgin Atlantic decided to discontinue the service due to continous aircraft shortages. The route originally began in September of 2019, with flights leaving daily from London Heathrow to Tel Aviv using an Airbus A330-300. Although it is no longer flying its own aircraft to Tel Aviv, Virgin Atlantic has partnered with Israeli flag carrier EL AL in order to fulfill the route. The partnership will provide up to four daily flights, allowing travellers flexibility and convenience following Virgin Atlantic’s termination of the route. The collaboration between the two airlines will also allow passengers to travel to major U.S. cities such as New York, Miami, Las Vegas and Atlanta, in addition to U.K. destinations. This news comes in the wake of other airlines resuming flights to Israel after a pause. However, American Airlines has also recently extended its cancellation of flights to and from Israel, meaning that EL AL is now the only airline operating services between the U.S. and Israel.
Passengers Affected by the Cancellation
Virgin Atlantic is offering a portal on its website for users who have had their flights cancelled and wish to either get a refund or reschedule their flights to/from Tel Aviv. Starting in May, customers who booked flights to or from Tel Aviv directly with Virgin Atlantic will receive email notifications detailing their options after the route is axed. Speaking to Jewish News, a spokesperson for Virgin Atlantic said the following:
After careful consideration we have taken the difficult decision to cancel our services between London Heathrow and Tel Aviv. We will continue to serve Tel Aviv as the only U.K. airline to have a partnership with EL AL, Israel’s national carrier on services between Tel Aviv Ben Gurion and London Heathrow.
The spokesperson apologised for the cancellation and instructed customers to await the email notification or check the ‘My Booking’ page on their Virgin Atlantic accounts.
Were you affected by this route being axed? How has this experience influenced your view of Virgin Atlantic? Share your thoughts in the comments.
