British billionaire businessman Sir Richard Branson, chairman of Virgin Atlantic, arrived in Israel on Wednesday to inaugurate the airline’s new route from London’s Heathrow Airport to Ben-Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv.
Branson exited the plane with flight attendants waving Israeli and British flags, and then bent down and kissed the ground.
He praised Israel’s entrepreneurial spirit and advances in space technology, saying he opposes boycotts, and that his company is “invested in both Israel and Palestine,” reported i24 News.
He also noted that the addition of this route will help decrease airline fares to and from Israel.
The flight from London to Tel Aviv takes five hours and will be served by Virgin’s Airbus A330-300 aircraft.
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