Virgin nixes Israel route, Turkey’s carriers waive flight slots at Tel Aviv airport
Three airlines — Virgin, Turkish Airlines, and Pegasus Airlines — signal they will not resume flight services to Israel amid ongoing Gaza war
Sharon Wrobel is a tech reporter for The Times of Israel
UK carrier Virgin Atlantic on Monday permanently ceased direct flight services between London and Tel Aviv, after pausing the operation of the route, due to the 18-month war with the Hamas terror group.
In a bigger blow to the country’s travel industry, Turkey’s airlines decided to forego their time slots for takeoffs and landings at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport, indicating that they will also not resume their flight services to Israel.
Richard Branson’s Virgin was expected to resume its flight services to Tel Aviv from London Heathrow around November, after halting the service due to the outbreak of the war against Hamas in Gaza with the October 7, 2023, onslaught.
All direct flights between Israel and Turkey, operated by Turkish Airlines and low-cost carrier Pegasus Airlines, were canceled shortly after Hamas invaded southern Israel to kill some 1,200 people and abduct 251 hostages.
For many years, Istanbul was a popular destination for Israeli tourists, many of whom were flying Turkey’s airlines and using Atatürk Airport as a cheaper option for connecting flights to destinations in Europe and elsewhere. Before the war, Turkish Airlines was the fourth-largest carrier at Ben Gurion Airport.
During the suspension period, Turkish and Pegasus held onto their flight slots at Ben Gurion Airport, keeping their options open to resume their services to Israel. Flight slots are permissions granted by the airport authority for an airline to land and take off on a particular day and within a specific time frame. It also grants the airline access to airport services and infrastructure.
“Airport slots — time windows allocated for takeoffs and landings — are highly valuable, especially during peak morning hours,” Ophir Tours deputy chairman Yoni Waxman told The Times of Israel. “Once a slot is given up and taken by another airline, it’s very difficult to reclaim it later, making it harder for the original carrier to offer attractive schedules or seamless connections.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has backed Hamas in the war, in which Israel has sought to topple Hamas as Gaza’s de facto government, to secure the release of the hostages taken on October 7, and to prevent the Gaza Strip from posing a security threat to Israel. In May last year, the Islamic country, which has been one of the harshest critics of Israel during Gaza war, cut off all trade with Israel — a dramatic move for Israel’s fifth-largest source of imported goods.
“The decision by the Turkish airlines to relinquish their slots at Ben Gurion Airport could signal a major shift in Israel-Turkey relations — or at least a downturn in aviation coordination between the two countries,” said Waxman. “This move raises questions about the Turkish airlines’ underlying motives, whether political or economic.”
Turkish Airlines and Pegasus Airlines did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Since the war broke out with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, most foreign airlines have repeatedly canceled and resumed their flights to and from Israel. Hopes for a sustained ceasefire-hostage release deal and a seemingly gradual reduction in tensions earlier this year prompted many major foreign airlines, including UK carrier British Airways, Irish budget carrier Ryanair, and US carriers Delta and United Airlines, to resume part of their flight services to and from Israel in recent weeks, albeit with limited capacity and frequency.
Waxman noted that the decision by Turkey’s airlines to give up their precious and long-held slots “could also spark increased competition among other carriers eager to secure the newly available slots.”
“For travelers, this might open up more flight options through alternative hubs like the Gulf states, Cyprus, and Greece — all strong substitutes for international travel from Israel,” he added.
The Times of Israel Community.