Flights between UK and Israel cancelled as tensions escalate in region

British Airways and Wizz Air have halted flights between London and Tel Aviv until at least Wednesday

British Airways passenger aircraft at Heathrow Airport. EPA

British Airways and Wizz Air have halted flights between Heathrow and Tel Aviv in both directions because of escalating hostilities in the Middle East.

British Airways said it has cancelled the flights until at least Wednesday, while Wizz Air announced it was "temporarily suspending" flights to and from Israel.

In addition, Air France said it was halting flights to Tel Aviv and Beirut that had been scheduled for Sunday and Monday. Air France's subsidiary, Transavia, made a similar announcement.

Several carriers ceased flights to Israel and Lebanon last year, but some had resumed services in recent months.

"We've been continually monitoring the situation in the Middle East and have taken the operational decision to suspend our flights to and from Tel Aviv up to and including Wednesday 28 August," a spokesperson for British Airways said.

"Safety is always our top priority, and we're contacting customers to advise them of their travel options."

Escalating conflict

Wizz Air gave no indication of when it will start flying to Israel - a company representative said affected customers would be allowed to rebook free of charge or receive full refunds.

Those who booked through online travel agencies or other third parties should contact them, the airline added.

The cancellations come after the Israeli military said it had launched "pre-emptive" strikes against the militant group Hezbollah in southern Lebanon on Sunday.

Virgin Atlantic, which was hoping to resume its services between Heathrow and Tel Aviv on September 5, said it will extend its flight suspension following a "security and safety assessment".

The airline now plans to restart flights from September 25.

"Our teams will be in contact with anyone affected to discuss options, which include rebooking to a later date or a full refund and, in the meantime, customers can benefit from our partnership with El Al which operates multiple daily flights between Heathrow and Ben Gurion Airport," a Virgin spokesperson said.

"We remain committed to our services to Israel and look forward to resuming flights to Tel Aviv as soon as the situation permits."

Likewise, German airline Lufthansa said on Friday that it was extending the suspension of its flights to and from Beirut to the end of September, adding that it would not fly to Tel Aviv and Tehran until September 2.