Budget airline Monarch has announced two new flight routes to Israel from London’s Luton Airport.

The British airline says it will operate two new flights to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv and the Ovda civilian and military airport north of Eilat from December.

Tickets will go on sale from midday today.

The airline previously operated flights to Israel as part of its charter service for more than 10 years, but it has never run scheduled flights to the country.

The direct flights will operate three times a week to Tel Aviv (Monday, Thursday and Sunday) and once a week, on a Thursday to Ovda with one-way flights available for the launch from just £89 outbound and just £49 inbound.

Yariv Levin, Israel’s Minister of Tourism said: “I am delighted that Monarch Airlines is launching new scheduled services to Israel this December. This is a great indication that Israel has the support of major carriers, such as Monarch, and will allow for even greater choice and accessibility for international travellers. By signing the Open Skies Agreement in 2013, we have paved the way to form this partnership with Monarch.”

Monarch chief executive Andrew Swaffield said: “Tel Aviv and Ovda are growing in popularity once more with tourists and with the diverse offerings of both these destinations we are sure they will be a very popular choice for winter short breaks and holidays. We are also looking forward to welcoming visitors from Israel to the UK.”