Virgin Atlantic announced Monday it has decided to discontinue its direct flights between London Heathrow and Tel Aviv. The British airline cited aircraft shortage as the reason for canceling flights to Israel.
Virgin Atlantic joins other airlines that have suspended service to Israel since the outbreak of war in October 2023.
Customers affected by the route cancellation who booked their flights directly through Virgin Atlantic will receive email notifications beginning May 10, 2025, and the cancellation will also be reflected in the "My Bookings" section of the company's website on the same date.
The Israeli CEO of Virgin Atlantic is Shai Weiss, brother of Channel 12 news journalist Dana Weiss. The airline joins Turkish carriers Turkish Airlines and Pegasus Airlines, which announced during the war that they would not resume flights to Israel.
Uziya G., a commenter on the article, noted, "It's not terrible. There are currently 8 daily flights on the Tel Aviv-London route (Heathrow and Luton): 4 by El Al, 2 by British Airways, 1 by Israir, and 1 by Wizz Air. That's enough."
Another reader with the username Mosh responded to the news more critically, writing, "When they want to come back, don't let them return."
