British Airways restarts Heathrow to Tel Aviv after eight months

British Airways resumed flights between London Heathrow and Tel Aviv on the first day of the winter flight season, ending a pause of around eight months, according to Head for Points. The service is reduced, with one flight a day.

Schedule and aircraft

Head for Points reports that the route is operated by an Airbus A321neo and runs overnight in both directions. The times it gives are:

• Outbound: departs Heathrow at 8.30pm and lands at Ben Gurion Airport at 3.25am.
• Return: departs Tel Aviv at 6.10am and arrives in London at 9.55am.

The outlet notes that the return is hardly more convenient than the outbound, given the early start from Tel Aviv.

Iberia also returns

The same source says that sister airline Iberia has also resumed its own daily flights between Madrid and Tel Aviv. Both airlines are part of the same group as British Airways, though the source does not give further detail on how the restarts were coordinated.

What this means for travellers

The restart restores a direct link between London and Tel Aviv on British Airways, but at a lower level than a fuller schedule would offer. With a single daily rotation, travellers have fewer choices of timing and less flexibility if they need to change plans.

• Both directions are overnight or very early morning, so passengers arriving in Tel Aviv at 3.25am should plan onward transport and accommodation in advance.
• Departing Tel Aviv at 6.10am means an early airport arrival.
• Those connecting at Heathrow should check that their onward flights suit the 9.55am arrival.
• Passengers can also look at the daily Iberia service from Madrid if that suits their routing.

The source does not say how long the reduced schedule will last, whether more frequencies are planned, or why the pause lasted eight months. Travellers should check the airline’s booking pages for the latest schedule and any travel advice before departure.

Sources: Head for Points