Virgin Atlantic exits Israel market after five-year run

Like most international airlines, Virgin ceased operations after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

By Jewish Breaking News

Virgin Atlantic has announced the permanent cancellation of its London Heathrow-Tel Aviv route, ending months of speculation about when the carrier might resume flights to Israel.

“Customers affected by the cancellation of the route and who booked their flight directly through Virgin Atlantic will receive a notification by email. We apologize for the inconvenience and continue to work to provide the highest level of service even during this transition period,” the airline informed affected customers in an official statement on Monday.

Virgin Atlantic’s relationship with Israel began in September 2019, when its inaugural flight touched down in Tel Aviv.

At the time, British billionaire and Virgin Atlantic chairman Sir Richard Branson celebrated the launch by commending Israel as a country of “great entrepreneurs doing incredible things.”

However, like most international airlines, Virgin ceased operations after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

Previously, the airline had announced its intention to resume service in September 2024, proposing seven weekly flights with a Larnaca stopover, but abandoned this schedule amid deteriorating security conditions.

In November 2024, citing technical constraints with its Boeing 787-9 fleet, Virgin further pushed its planned return back to October 2025.

To mitigate the impact on travelers, Virgin Atlantic will preserve its codeshare partnership with El Al.

According to the airline, this will maintain a “continuous connection between Tel Aviv and London Heathrow, with up to four daily flights” while still providing access to Virgin’s network of UK and US destinations.