Virgin Atlantic permanently axes Tel Aviv route
The airline will maintain links to Israel through its exclusive partnership with EL AL
Virgin Atlantic has announced it will permanently suspend its flights between London Heathrow and Tel Aviv after “careful consideration”, ending its short-lived direct service to Israel.
The British airline, which had operated up to two daily flights on the route before suspending operations in October 2023 following the Gaza war, had initially planned to resume services in October 2025. However, it has now confirmed that the connection will not return.
A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said in a statement to Jewish News: “After careful consideration we have taken the difficult decision to cancel our services between London Heathrow and Tel Aviv.”
The airline added that while it will no longer operate its own flights to Israel, it remains committed to Israeli travellers through its codeshare partnership with Israel’s national carrier, EL AL.
The spokesperson said, “We will continue to serve Tel Aviv as the only UK airline to have a partnership with EL AL, Israel’s national carrier on services between Tel Aviv Ben Gurion and London Heathrow.”
The partnership offers customers access to up to four daily flights between the two cities, alongside reciprocal loyalty rewards and access to tier benefits through Virgin’s Flying Club and EL AL’s Matmid programme. Travellers can also connect seamlessly from Tel Aviv via London to US destinations such as New York, Atlanta, Miami and Las Vegas.
Virgin Atlantic, which first launched its Israel service in September 2019, said customers booked directly with the airline would be contacted by email starting from 10 May with options to rebook on alternative carriers or claim a refund.
“We’re really sorry for the disappointment caused to our loyal customers,” the spokesperson added. “Anyone booked on travel will be contacted by email with their options from 10 May, which include the option to rebook onto an alternative carrier or request a refund.”
The cancellation will also appear in affected customers’ “My Booking” accounts on Virgin Atlantic’s website from that date.
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