Virgin Atlantic chief executive Shai Weiss said late on Wednesday (11 October) Virgin had suspended flights to Israel for 72 hours to ensure the safety and security of staff and customers.
Weiss, who is Israeli, also said Virgin Atlantic would continue to “evaluate the situation closely” and would work with authorities in the UK and Israel to restart flights as soon as possible.
“It’s our hope that we’ll be able to operate an essential service into Tel Aviv for our customers soon, but only if and when it is safe to do so,” Weiss said.
EasyJet, meanwhile, has extended its flight suspension to Israel until 17 October “due to the evolving situation” after announcing earlier this week services would be halted until Friday (13 October).
British Airways, too, has suspended operations to Israel after BA flight 165 turned back shortly before arriving in Tel Aviv on Wednesday afternoon and returned to Heathrow.
“Safety is always our highest priority, and following the latest assessment of the situation, we’re suspending our flights to and from Tel Aviv," a BA spokesperson told TTG on Wednesday.
Many more airlines, including low-cost operations such as Ryanair and Wizz Air, as well as European short- and long-haul carriers like Lufthansa, KLM and Air France, have halted flights due to escalating tensions in Israel, Gaza and on the West Bank.
Tour operators such as G Adventures, Riviera Travel and Newmarket Holidays, as well as cruise lines, including MSC, Royal Caribbean and Celestyal, have called off stops in Israel after the Foreign Office advised against all but essential travel to Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Lebanon.
