Airlines further push back plans to restart flights to Israel
Ilaria Grasso MacolaSeveral carriers have pushed back their plans to restart flights to and from Israel due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Most of the UK’s major airlines are continuing to monitor the situation after suspending flights to Tel Aviv earlier this month based on security assessments.
Virgin Atlantic, which had hoped to resume flying by the end of the week, has now suspended its flights until 4 November. Ryanair, meanwhile, has put off its flights until 6 November, easyJet until 7 November and British Airways until 8 November.
"Safety is always our highest priority and following the latest assessments of the situation we’re suspending our flights to and from Tel Aviv up to and including Tuesday 14 November,” said BA on Thursday (26 October).
The decision comes after Virgin Atlantic boss Shai Weiss on Monday (23 October) admitted the long-term impact on travel of the crisis was still unknown.
“If Israel can contain its war to the south into Gaza and really take out Hamas, that’s one outcome,” Weiss told Bloomberg TV. “If, God forbid, it becomes a much more regional conflict, then we don’t know how that is going to impact [travel]. Overall, war in the Middle East is always dampening."
Meanwhile, a number of cruise lines – including MSC Cruises, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line – have amended their Middle East itineraries to avoid all calls to Israel.
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Ilaria Grasso Macola
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