LONDON- In a significant move for UK–Israel air travel, Virgin Atlantic (VS) is leasing eight weekly slot pairs at London Heathrow Airport to El Al Israel Airlines (LY) for the Winter 2025/26 season. This will enable El Al to expand services between London and Tel Aviv.
The slot agreement is through March 26, 2026, which will be effective October 23, 2025. This should help enhance connectivity between two major hubs and should increase momentum in the market.
Photo: Clément AlloingVirgin Atlantic Heathrow Slot Lease
This development was reflected in a recent Airport Coordination Ltd. slot request form. Virgin Atlantic seems to have entered into a lease agreement with El Al. These new slots should allow the Israeli carrier to operate four weekly arrivals and departures at Heathrow. The slots given to El Al include newly allocated nighttime slots at Heathrow.
The slots are blocked as LY 209 arrives at 23:00 and departs at 23:05. The timings might help in complementing its current schedule. El Al, as of now, plans to operate a mix of Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners (282–294 seats) and 777-200ERs (313 seats) on the route.
These time slots are ideal for business travelers, those connecting to or from U.S. flights, and passengers who prefer maximizing daytime hours. These additional frequencies will double El Al’s current Heathrow service—from four to eight weekly round-trip flights—responding to a steady increase in demand.
On the other hand, Virgin Atlantic has decided to lease the available slots rather than operate them. The leasing slots are likely tied to network optimization and fleet realignment. Virgin Atlantic is consolidating its U.S.-centric routes and focusing on joint ventures with Delta and Air France–KLM.
Photo: By Adam Moreira (AEMoreira042281) – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=68660193The London–Tel Aviv Sector
The London–Tel Aviv air route carries decades of historical importance. It dates back to the late 1940s. British European Airways (BEA) and El Al helped pioneer services after World War II. Over the years, this corridor has seen surges during times of economic prosperity and also dips during regional conflicts.
But, there has been consistent demand from diaspora communities, techies, business-related travelers, and tourists as well. Pre-pandemic data indicated over 1.2 million annual passengers between the two cities.
The new slot lease shows there is recovery. But how the growth will be after COVID-19 pandemic remains unclear. If the new services start, it should help reaffirm London and Tel Aviv as a key business and cultural corridor to some extent.
This move also leverages Virgin and El Al’s codeshare partnership, signed in 2024, which opened up El Al’s access to 14 U.S. destinations via Heathrow through interline connections. El Al’s expanded presence at the airport will help capitalize on this partnership and boost transatlantic options for Israeli travelers.
Photo: Ferrovial ConstructionBottom Line
The Virgin Atlantic–El Al slot lease marks a commercially strategic and mutually beneficial collaboration. It shall enhance El Al’s Heathrow footprint and generate revenue and flexibility for Virgin Atlantic. And most importantly, it broadens travel options for passengers flying between the UK and Israel.
From an operational standpoint, does this move signal more temporary slot leases or full trades in future seasons? Especially if El Al’s winter performance proves successful. Whether Virgin Atlantic will reallocate freed-up capacity to strengthen U.S. routes or resume services to Asia or Africa remains to be seen.
London Heathrow operates under one of the world’s most congested slot systems, with very limited new availability. Slot pairs at LHR have fetched up to $75 million for airlines in the past. Virgin’s lease to El Al, therefore, reflects a strategic monetization. The airline is able to earn from underutilized assets while preserving access to future network adjustments.
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