Israel loses key airline connections as Virgin Atlantic and Turkish carriers halt flights

The British airline Virgin Atlantic, along with Turkish carriers Turkish Airlines and Pegasus Airlines, has announced that it will no longer operate flights to and from Israel. Like many international airlines, they suspended their services to the country following the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

Despite an improved security situation in Israel, these Turkish and British carriers have ultimately decided not to resume flights to and from Ben Gurion Airport.

Prior to the war, Turkish Airlines played an important role in connecting Israel with various international destinations by offering some 16 daily flights. The Turkish metropolis Istanbul served for many years as an important hub for connecting flights between Israel and the outside world. 

Shirley Cohen-Orkabi, deputy CEO of the Israeli travel company Eshet Tours, assessed that the loss would be covered by other airline companies. 

"This is not good news, but it’s also not a dramatic development. The gap left by foreign airlines that canceled their operations at Ben-Gurion has been filled by both Israeli and other foreign carriers, and no shortage of flights is expected. For example, when it comes to connecting flights, the United Arab Emirates has now become a central hub for flights to the Far East, and we expect to see additional new routes opening to replace the canceled slots," she said in an interview with the news outlet Ynet. 

For many years, Turkey was a popular destination for Israeli tourists. However, in the wake of the Oct. 7 attack and the increasingly hostile stance of Turkey’s pro-Hamas government toward Israel, the country has become a much less appealing destination for Israelis.

Meanwhile, the British Virgin Atlantic apologized to passengers who are impacted by the company’s suspended flights to Israel. 

"Customers impacted by the cancellation who booked directly through Virgin Atlantic will be notified by email starting May 10, 2025, and the cancellation will also be reflected in the 'My Bookings' section on our website at that time. We apologize for the inconvenience and remain committed to delivering the highest level of service during this transitional period," the British carrier stated. 

"Although we will no longer operate direct flights on this route, we remain committed to serving our customers traveling between Israel and the United Kingdom through our codeshare partnership with El Al," it added.

Ben Gurion Airport announced in March that it would reopen its Terminal 1 in order to expand its capacity after a growing number of international airlines announced that they would resume flights to and from Israel. 

"The return of airlines to Terminal 1 will provide passengers with direct access to popular destinations, including Sofia, Budapest, Bucharest, Berlin, Rome, Athens, Rhodes, Warsaw and Vienna," the airport authority stated at the time. 

Cohen-Orkabi assessed at the time that the return of international airlines would eventually bring down air ticket prices in the Israeli market. 

"This is great news for Israeli aviation and a strong incentive for low-cost airlines to return to Israel and increase flight frequency. Terminal 1’s reopening will also drive down prices to Europe in the medium and long term, expand destination options and ease congestion at Terminal 3," she said.