British Airways has resumed its flights to Israel, landing its first aircraft in Tel Aviv over the weekend after nearly six months of suspended service due to the Israel-Hamas war.
The British flag carrier’s return to Ben-Gurion Airport comes just in time for the high-demand travel period around Passover and Easter. A red-eye flight from London Heathrow touched down in the early hours of Sunday morning, with a morning departure back to London following shortly after sunrise.
The move makes BA one of the first major international airlines to reintroduce regular routes to Israel since the outbreak of war last October, which had prompted widespread flight suspensions across the aviation industry due to security concerns.
El Al, Israel’s national airline, continued to operate multiple daily flights throughout the conflict, including from both Heathrow and Luton, but limited competition drove ticket prices up, with some passengers accusing the airline of price gouging.
In addition to El Al, Israir and Wizz Air have offered limited service from Tel Aviv to the UK. Virgin Atlantic, which also halted operations in the early weeks of the war, is not expected to resume flights until October.
BA’s decision to return ahead of the Jewish festival season will likely be welcomed by travellers and families preparing to visit Israel over Passover, which begins on the evening of 12 April.
The airline has not yet confirmed whether it plans to return to a full daily schedule.
