Registry

Does Virgin Atlantic support Israel?

Support documentedupdated 2026-07-30

Yes — Virgin Atlantic has documented support for Israel on record. Every claim below links to its source.

Filed under: Hotels & travel companies · Companies that support Israel

Background

Honest verdict: Virgin Atlantic served Israel for six years and then stopped. It launched London Heathrow–Tel Aviv on 25 September 2019 — its first and only Israeli route — rebuilt it after the pandemic, and grew it to as much as twice daily. It suspended the route on 11 October 2023 and, after eighteen months of postponements, cancelled it permanently on 28 April 2025, with the carrier describing the move as a commercial decision taken "after careful consideration" rather than a political one; it kept selling Tel Aviv through partner airlines including El Al. No corporate donations, in-kind aid or statements about the war — in either direction — were found for Virgin Atlantic or the Virgin Group companies that own it.

Virgin Atlantic — VSBulletins, partner hub (official bulletin, 28 April 2025) Business Traveller — Virgin Atlantic cancels Tel Aviv route

Timeline of documented support

2020202120222023202420252019-09 — Operations in Israel: London Heathrow–Tel Aviv route, Ben Gurion Airport (Israel)Operations in Israel2019-092020-05 — Operations in Israel: Tel Aviv–London Heathrow route (Israel)Operations in Israel2020-052025-04 — Operations in Israel: London Heathrow–Tel Aviv route (Israel) — permanently cancelledOperations in Israel2025-04

Documented support

TypeDateAmountRecipientSources
Operations in Israel2019-09-25—London Heathrow–Tel Aviv route, Ben Gurion Airport (Israel)
Opened its first-ever Israel route: Virgin Atlantic announced on 10 February 2019 that it would fly London Heathrow–Tel Aviv, with the inaugural flight on 25 September 2019 and the first Tel Aviv departure the following morning. The service ran daily and, in its strongest period, grew to as many as two flights a day, making Virgin the second British carrier on the Heathrow–Ben Gurion corridor.
Operations in Israel2020-05—Tel Aviv–London Heathrow route (Israel)
Committed to the route again after the first pandemic shutdown: in May 2020 Virgin Atlantic said it planned to restart its daily Tel Aviv Ben Gurion–London Heathrow flight and announced a second Tel Aviv–Heathrow rotation, one of the earliest foreign-carrier commitments to Israel as Covid-19 travel restrictions eased.
Operations in Israel2025-04-28—London Heathrow–Tel Aviv route (Israel) — permanently cancelled
Ended the route for good. Virgin Atlantic suspended Tel Aviv operations on 11 October 2023, days after the 7 October attacks, and postponed its return repeatedly; on 28 April 2025 it told trade partners that "after careful consideration, we have taken the difficult decision to cancel our services between London Heathrow and Tel Aviv," with schedules removed from booking systems on 10 May 2025. Affected passengers were rebooked onto partner carriers including El Al, Israel's flag carrier, and Air France–KLM, so Virgin continued to sell Tel Aviv itineraries without operating them itself. The relationship is listed here with its end date stated.

Frequently asked questions

Did Virgin Atlantic donate money to Israel or Israeli causes?

We have no records of cash donations, but Virgin Atlantic has documented support of other kinds (Operations in Israel). See the records on this page.

Where does this information come from?

Every record on this page links to its source — news reports, official company statements, tax filings, or government records. 6 distinct sources are cited for Virgin Atlantic. Our methodology page explains the full verification process.

Sources & citations

Record last updated: 2026-07-30

Companies with documented support