Israeli carrier El Al is set to resume its service to London Stansted following an 11-year hiatus. The carrier will begin flying to the low-cost hub five times a week with the Boeing 737-800.

El Al hasn't flown to London Stansted Airport for over a decade. However, this is set to change as the airline has announced its return to the London low-cost hub. The route will initially run for just over two months, likely with the possibility to be extended if successful.

Flights are already on sale with a return fare starting at £280. Despite having its largest hub at the airport, LCC Ryanair doesn't fly to Tel Aviv from Stansted. However, El Al will have competition from Arkia on the new route.

The new route

El Al will fly to London Stansted five times per week. The route is set to launch on the 28th of June and will run until the 3rd of September for the time being. Flights will operate on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The flights will follow the following schedule:

  • LY213 will depart from Tel Aviv (TLV) at 16:00. Following a 5-hour 15-minute flight, the Boeing 737-800 will arrive at London Stansted Airport (STN) at 19:15.
  • LY214 will depart from London Stansted at 20:30. After a slightly shorter 4-hour and 55-minute flight, the aircraft is due to arrive back in Tel Aviv at 03:25 the next day.
El Al, London Stansted, Tel Aviv
The flight from Tel Aviv to Stansted takes around five hours. Image: GCMap

Another long route for Stansted

The (re)arrival of El Al will mean that Stansted Airport now has three long haul carriers. For a while now, the airport has been accepting Boeing 777s from Emirates every day. These are the largest passenger aircraft that regularly use the airport, although Hi Fly's A380 has once used it.

Then, last year, the airport received a new service as Air India launched direct flights to Amritsar with the Boeing 787. Air India is also set to launch another Boeing 787 service to the airport. From the 20th of February, the carrier will fly from Mumbai three times a week. Now, El Al is becoming the third long haul airline to serve the airport.

air-india-2020-future
Air India is set to launch its second 787 flight to London Stansted next week. Photo: Tom Boon - Simple Flying.

Speaking of the new route, London Stansted’s Head of Aviation, Nick Sime, said,

“We are very pleased to welcome EL AL Israel Airlines back to London Stansted... It’s fantastic EL AL has recognised the great opportunity the exists at Stansted."

An exciting time for El Al

It certainly is an exciting time for El Al. Having retired its last Boeing 747 last year, the airline is entering a new era. At the start of April, the Israeli carrier will begin a series of three 17-hour test flights to Melbourne. These flights will be operated by the Boeing 787.

Will you fly on El Al's new connection between London Stansted and Tel Aviv? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!