{"schema_version":1,"citation_url":"https://www.loungefrog.com/news/british-airways-resumes-tel-aviv-october-2026","title":"British Airways plans to restart Heathrow–Tel Aviv flights on October 25, once a day","description":"After an eight-month pause, BA plans to restart London Heathrow–Tel Aviv flights on October 25 with one daily flight, half its prewar schedule.","author":"Patrick Karsh","publisher":"Lounge Frog","date_published":"2026-10-14T18:04:39.027429Z","date_modified":"2026-10-14T23:51:01.283318Z","body_markdown":"![British Airways Airbus A321neo in flight (BA press image; representative, not the Tel Aviv flight)](https://pub-fac99da959e344fe99d810d309cef7df.r2.dev/photos/article/d34b3777-bf95-4b84-8b68-98ecae43d526/163654f8e9e22be89d1470540f3c7795.jpg)\n\n[British Airways](/airlines/ba) plans to restart flights between London Heathrow and Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport on October 25, 2026. The route has been suspended for about eight months.\n\nTickets for direct flights from October 25 onward are on sale at ba.com, according to Jewish News. The news broke on October 8, 2026.\n\n## A smaller schedule at first\n\nBA will start with one flight a day. Before the suspension, it flew the route twice a day.\n\nSchedule data cited by Aviation A2Z shows the flights using an Airbus A321neo. That is a narrow-body jet with one aisle. BA's narrow-body business cabin, Club Europe, has a blocked middle seat rather than a flat bed. If you are used to a wide-body jet on longer European flights, set your expectations to match.\n\nBA has not shared flight times in the reports we reviewed. Check the timetable on ba.com before you plan connections.\n\n## Why the route stopped\n\nBA suspended Tel Aviv flights on February 28, 2026, after Israeli strikes on Iran. The airline cited safety concerns across the Middle East. The Times of Israel describes the trigger as the outbreak of the US-Israel war with Iran.\n\nBA pushed back its return date several times after that. It later extended the pause through late October.\n\n## Other Middle East routes\n\nTel Aviv was not the only route affected. BA also paused or changed flights to several other cities in the region this year:\n\n- Dubai, Bahrain and Amman were out of BA's schedule for much of the year.\n- BA changed its planned schedules for Doha and Riyadh.\n- BA says other markets in the region remain under review for operations and security.\n\nBA has not said when, or whether, the other suspended routes will return. Its winter 2026/27 schedule is still being adjusted.\n\n## Who owns BA\n\nBA is part of International Airlines Group (IAG). [Qatar Airways](/airlines/qr) is IAG's largest shareholder. A Jerusalem Post report cited by Aviation A2Z said Qatar Airways held about 25% of IAG's voting rights at the end of 2025.\n\n## What to do if you are booked\n\nIf you hold a ticket on or after October 25, here is a short checklist:\n\n- **Check your booking.** Open \"Manage My Booking\" on ba.com and confirm the flight time and aircraft. A reduced schedule can mean a retimed flight.\n- **Check connections.** With one flight a day, a missed connection may mean waiting until the next day. Leave more time than usual at Heathrow.\n- **Check travel advice.** Read the latest guidance from your government before you go. US travelers can check the State Department. UK travelers can check the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.\n- **Check your insurance.** Some travel policies exclude areas under government travel warnings.\n- **Watch for changes.** BA moved this date more than once. Turn on flight alerts in the BA app.\n\nNeither report we reviewed covered rebooking or refund rules for the restart. If your plans no longer work, contact BA directly.\n\n## Lounges on the route\n\nAt Heathrow, BA's Tel Aviv flights leave from Terminal 5. Eligible passengers can use the [Galleries Club lounges](/lounges/lhr-british-airways-galleries-club-south) and, with top status, [Galleries First](/lounges/lhr-british-airways-galleries-first). See our [Heathrow airport page](/airports/lhr) for the full list. Our [Tel Aviv airport page](/airports/tlv) lists lounges at Ben Gurion.\n\nLounge access depends on your ticket and status, so check the rules for your flight.\n\n## My take\nThe restart gives travelers a nonstop option between London and Tel Aviv again. But the schedule is half what it was, and the plane is smaller. Book early if your dates are fixed, and keep an eye on your booking until you fly.\n\nSources: [The Times of Israel, October 8, 2026](https://www.timesofisrael.com/british-airways-planning-to-resume-flights-to-tel-aviv-on-october-25/); [Jewish News](https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/british-airways-to-resume-israel-flights-after-eight-month-suspension/amp/); [Aviation A2Z, October 8, 2026](https://aviationa2z.com/index.php/2026/10/08/british-airways-to-restart-flights-to-tel-aviv-israel-after-months/)\n\n## Related reading\n\n- [British Airways plans a big new Heathrow lounge in T5's C Gates and a rebuilt Arrivals lounge](/news/british-airways-heathrow-t5-c-gates-lounge-arrivals-2026)\n- [British Airways will finally build a Terminal 5C lounge at Heathrow, but not until late 2028](/news/british-airways-heathrow-terminal-5c-lounge-2028)\n- [British Airways will build a lounge at Heathrow's T5 C gates and rebuild its Arrivals lounge](/news/british-airways-heathrow-terminal-5-c-gates-lounge-arrivals-redesign)","link_base":"https://www.loungefrog.com/news/british-airways-resumes-tel-aviv-october-2026","citation_guidance":"Cite citation_url. Preserve source links, dates and qualifications. date_modified is an edit date, not proof that every claim was rechecked. Third-party images and quoted material retain their own rights."}