Virgin Atlantic will launch daily Airbus A330-300 flights between London Heathrow and Tel Aviv later this year with 20 tonnes of bellyhold capacity on each service.
An airline spokesperson said that the route, which commences on September 25, “will offer a fast cargo service from Tel Aviv for goods such as high value precious stones, fresh produce, high-tech and electrical products, pharmaceutical and express shipments to prime markets in the UK and US, and offer more choice for companies exporting a wide range of cargoes to Israel”.
The airline’s decision to extend its network to Israel will help meet growing demand for cargo capacity, with total volumes into Israel up by some 17% in 2018.
Virgin Atlantic chief executive Shai Weiss said the new route “promises to be a strong route for cargo”
Weiss said: “Tel Aviv represents a fantastic opportunity for us - Israel’s economy is booming and as one of the world’s leading tech hubs we’re anticipating many business travellers and entrepreneurs flying between Tel Aviv and the UK.”
2018 saw particularly strong growth in shipments of pharmaceuticals, perishables and high-tech cargo to Tel Aviv, which rose 35%, 7% and 5% year-on-year respectively, according to market data.
Virgin Atlantic Cargo managing director Dominic Kennedy said: “This is a really exciting new route for us and plays to our strengths in terms of quick connections to and from US and our proven expertise in carrying the major types of products moving in and out of Israel.
“We know customers will welcome not only the choice of more capacity but also the opportunity to benefit from our network reach and service levels. We expect cargo to make a significant contribution to the success of the route.”
