Virgin Atlantic pushes back plans to restart flights to Tel Aviv
Harry KembleVirgin Atlantic has pushed back its plans to resume flying to Tel Aviv, a little over 24 hours after announcing it would restart one of its two daily services this week.
The carrier said it would contact affected passengers to discuss their options, adding its flying programme would remain under “constant review” amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Affected customers will be offered a refund or given the option to rebook with no additional fees until 31 December 2023. A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said: “The safety of our customers and our teams is our number one priority, always.
“After careful consideration, based on latest information, we have taken the decision to extend our pause on flying to and from Tel Aviv until 27 October to give clarity to our customers.
“The situation [in Israel and Palestine] remains dynamic, so we’ll keep our flying programme under constant review.”
Virgin Atlantic had said it would restart outbound VS457 flight from Heathrow and the return VS458 flight from Tel Aviv earlier this week, before rowing back on plans on Tuesday (17 October).
The carrier last week announced it was cancelling its summer-only service – VS453 and VS454 – until the end of the season on 28 October.
The Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to Israel and Palestinian territories, and against all travel to several locations in the region, including Gaza. It is currently coordinating repatriation flights to get British nationals home.
Evacuees are being charged £300 – much less than the £1,000-plus reportedly demanded by carriers in the aftermath of the atrocities.
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