Due to issues with flying hour regulations and British Airways’ decision to forbid crew members from spending time in Israel in between flights, Heathrow to Tel Aviv services will now include a stop in Cyprus.
The airline stated it planned to begin operating four return flights every week on April 1st. The company had halted operations to Tel Aviv in October due to the escalating confrontations between Israel and Hamas.
“We’ve taken the commercial decision to add Tel Aviv to our short-haul network when we resume our flights on April 1st,” a statement read.
“This aligns these flights with other similar length flights we operate, and we’ll keep this decision under review.”
It was recognized that the choice to utilize smaller aircraft was a reflection of the possibility of low demand brought on by the ongoing hostilities in the area.
The situation is still changing, thus the goal of restarting operations will be reviewed, BA continued.
Clients who have already made reservations for flights to and from Tel Aviv will be contacted and given the choice to switch to a different service, request a refund, or rebook onto a new short-haul trip.
According to British Airways, there will be a 45-minute halt in Cyprus during the Heathrow-Tel Aviv flights to accommodate a crew change.
According to BA, this was because flying staff members were currently not permitted to remain in Tel Aviv for safety reasons, and flying hours regulations needed to be closely adhered to.
