El Al to run record 20 UK flights a week this winter
Boost to Heathrow and Luton services as foreign carriers remain grounded
El Al will expand its UK schedule to an unprecedented 20 weekly flights this winter, as demand for the London-Tel Aviv route continues to outstrip supply.
From late October, Israel’s flag carrier will operate 15 flights a week to Heathrow and five to Luton – its highest frequency to Britain. The move comes amid oversold summer services which have driven airfares sharply higher.
Currently, only Israeli airlines – El Al, Israir and Arkia – are flying between London and Tel Aviv, with British Airways and easyJet suspending operations until at least the end of October. Virgin Atlantic has halted Israel flights entirely.
El Al has reported record profits during the past two years of conflict, with the airline often operating as a de facto monopoly on the route.
The announcement follows Hungarian budget carrier Wizz Air’s decision to restart its Tel Aviv operations in the coming weeks. The Budapest-based airline plans to resume 24 routes to Israel from 11 countries, including 10 routes from eight countries launching flights this month.
“Wizz Air’s decision to put their faith in Israel and resume operations… should be applauded,” said Mark Feldman, CEO of Jerusalem-based Ziontours. “It is another example of a foreign airline making a conscious business decision to fly to and from Tel Aviv.”
Wizz Air is also in discussions with Israel over opening a hub at Ben-Gurion Airport.
Passenger numbers through Ben-Gurion are rebounding, with 80,000 people passing through last Thursday – the highest daily total since the 7 October Hamas attacks and the outbreak of the Gaza war.
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