Virgin Atlantic to restart flights to Israel's Tel Aviv this week
James ChappleVirgin Atlantic will restart one of its two daily flights to Tel Aviv on Friday (20 October) amid the worsening military and humanitarian crisis in the Middle East.
Flight VS457 will depart Heathrow airport at 8.50am, arriving into Tel Aviv at 3.40pm local time. The return, flight VS458, will depart Tel Aviv at 4.25pm local time.
Virgin said its flight programme to Israel would remain under constant review, adding anyone planning to travel once flights resume should check their flight status before travelling to their departure airport.
UPDATE: Virgin Atlantic pushes back plans to restart flights to Tel Aviv
Anyone with a Virgin booking to Israel which was or is valid for travel from 7 October to 28 October, made by or on 15 October, can cancel their booking for a full refund or amend their travel for free, so long as their new travel date is before or on 31 December.
Virgin Atlantic chief executive Shai Weiss last week confirmed the pause in Virgin’s schedule "to ensure the safety and security of staff and customers".
The Foreign Office continues to advise against all but essential travel to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. It is coordinating repatriation flights to get British nationals out of the country. Several flights have already departed Israel, with more planned.
"The UK is also working with Israeli air controllers and the air industry to try to maintain commercial air links and keep a range of transport options under review," said the FCDO. "While commercial flights remain limited, a small number of routes between Israel and Europe, including the UK, are open."
Several carriers have suspended operations to Israel; British Airways flights are suspended up to and including Wednesday 18 October, while easyJet flights will remain suspended until Thursday 19 October. Wizz Air has cancelled all flights up to Saturday 21 October.
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