British carrier Virgin Atlantic has announced that all its flights to and from Israel are cancelled until at least March 17, 2024. The airline, which operated two daily flights on the London-Tel Aviv route until the beginning of the war, is examining the situation in Israel and will return if the security situation in Israel improves.
The British airline isn't alone in cancelling all of its flights until March 2024. Other airlines, including Korean Air, Cathay Pacific and other carriers, had announced cancellations up to that time.
Launch of Virgin Atlantic's new aircraft
Virgin Atlantic operated two daily flights between London and Tel Aviv until the beginning of the war. Currently, EL AL is the only airline operating flights on this route, and many of its flights take off at very high occupancy due to the high demand for the destination.
The reasons why the demand for flights to London is relatively high are the businessmen who fly between England and Israel and back, the Israelis who live in the UK and come to Israel, and many Israelis who choose to take short ventilation vacations in London.
The month of December is considered very popular in London due to the special Christmas markets in the city, the decorated streets and the festive atmosphere felt in the city.
It will wait for the Israelis. London, Photo: GettyImages
One of the reasons airlines cancel all their flights until March is the winter schedule that ends during that period, which allows them to more easily plan their plane assignments, manage refunds to passengers more easily, and plan their continued operations in Israel in a more orderly manner.
It is currently unclear whether Virgin will actually return to Israel on March 17. If the security situation does not improve, there is a chance that the company will extend the cancellations.
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