On Friday Wizz Air will resume flights on the Tel Aviv - London route as part of its gradual resumption of Israel flights. This is one of the Tel Aviv routes that suffers most from a low supply of flights relative to demand, after foreign carriers have halted servic4es on the route. British Airways has announced that it will not resume London-Tel Aviv flights before the end of October while the low-cost airline easyJet is scheduled to return only in late March 2026. Virgin Atlantic has given up the route altogether until further notice and continues its operations in Israel using a codeshare with El Al.
With the return of Wizz Air and due to additional flights from El Al and Arkia, a certain decrease in fares is expected but not sufficient to change the picture completely, since three companies have not yet resumed operations on the route.
So far, the additional flights have indeed contributed to a reduction in fares, but it is limited. On the route to London Heathrow, which remains exclusively operated by El Al, there has been a fall in fares, even though the competitors have not returned to that airport. However, the increase in alternatives to other airports has contributed to the decline. This is a route on which it is very difficult to cut fares due to high airport taxes at Heathrow.
In 2024, it was possible to fly to Heathrow (with El Al) and Luton (with El Al, Israir and Wizz Air) only. This year, due to the addition of Arkia to Stansted and Wizz Air's resumption of flights to Luton, cheaper alternatives can be found, mainly from Wizz Air. After the high demand period of the holidays, from mid-October, passengers will be able to fly with Wizz Air for half or even a third of the price.
Starting fares: Arkia and El Al
The fall in the number of British airlines flying to Israel comes amid a deterioration in diplomatic relations between Israel and the UK. This is also reflected in the number of Israelis choosing to fly to Israel. According to Israel Airports Authority figures for July 2023, before the war, Britain was the fifth most popular destination for Israelis, to which 835,114 passengers flew annually, or 6.02% of all passengers. In July 2025, however, the cumulative annual passenger traffic shrank to only 387,717 passengers, which is 4.13% of overall passenger traffic. Britain has fallen to ninth place on the list of popular destinations for Israelis.
Before the cancellations by UK carriers, Virgin Atlantic and British Airways each operated between 7-14 weekly flights, while easyJet operated an additional eight. More than 30 weekly flights could be added between Israel and the UK if flights were operating regularly.
The decline in the number of UK airlines flying to Israel is pushing Britain off the tourist map for Israelis. London has become less accessible, less affordable and, for some Israelis, less desirable.
One of the main reasons for this is the higher sterling-shekel exchange rate, and the inconvenience of needing an electronic travel authorization (ETA) permit costing £10, which every Israeli citizen must obtain online before flying to the UK. Alongside this, there is British public hostility to Israel, numerous pro-Palestinian demonstrations and the British government, which recently announced that it would recognize a Palestinian state. However, travel to London remains relatively in demand, especially in relation to the meager supply.
The route to London changes from airport to airport
For those traveling from Israel to London, there are currently three airports: Heathrow, Luton and Stansted. El Al operates 15 weekly flights to Heathrow and five additional flights to Luton; Israir operates nine weekly flights to Luton; Wizz Air operates five weekly flights to Luton; Arkia operates six weekly flights to Stansted, and in October the number of flights will drop to three.
Heathrow, London's main airport, is one of the best connected airports in the world. It is a huge international hub, with flights to almost every possible destination and access to high-speed rail, underground, buses and roads. The fare to central London ranges from £6 on the underground to £25 on the high-speed rail or direct bus.
Stansted is used by low-cost airlines, mainly Ryanair. It serves a large population to the north-east of London. It is a less convenient airport for connections, but flights are usually cheaper. The fare to central London ranges from £10 by bus to £20 by high-speed train.
Luton is considered the least inviting airport. It is older and more crowded, but its operating costs are lower, which is why it attracts low-cost carriers like Wizz Air and easyJet. There is a short shuttle bus to the railway station, and from there by direct train to London. Fares range from £6 by bus and £20 by train.
Heathrow is not easy to fly to, which is why airlines often make do with Luton and Stansted. Because it is one of the busiest airports in the world, Heathrow has a chronic shortage of slots. The main reason for this is that the airport operates with only two runways. The demand for flights is much greater than the airport's operational capacity. Slot costs are high, and slots for takeoff and landing are strictly managed by a slot coordinator and are almost fully allocated years in advance.
Airlines demand solutions from Israel
According to estimates, British Airways, easyJet and other carriers are working behind the scenes to bring about regulatory changes that will help them to return to fly to Israel. About a month ago, they joined a number of Israeli and foreign airlines in demanding an update to local laws on mandatory compensation for expenses for passengers whose flights have been canceled. Like other foreign airlines, they are also afraid to return to Israel without an appropriate amendment.
Shortly after the Iran operation in June, airlines and tour operators approached the Minister of Transport and other ministers demanding that the obligation to provide assistance services be removed and that only a refund be made for airline tickets when flights are canceled. If such an exemption is not granted, they demand that the state compensate them for the expenses and losses incurred, including empty flights and claims from passengers. The issue was discussed recently by the Knesset Economics Committee, but a decision was not made due to the Ministry of Finance's opposition to allocating a budget. The decision has now been passed on to the prime minister.
Some 150,000 Israel passengers who were stranded abroad during the Iran operation and were forced to pay for accommodation and other expenses still await a decision.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on August 18, 2025.
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